When the Lights Go Down in the City
by Politics.and.Prose
Summary: A series of random one-shots from the lives of Rachel and Finn. Firefighter!Finn 'verse. Ratings will vary each chapter.
1. When the Lights Go Down in the City

THIS IS DEDICATED TO MY WIFEY, **EGYOUPPT**. LOVE YOU, BB.

And to all my other Finchel Gutter Gals, thanks for sticking with me.

.**xo**.

Finn winced slightly as he rubbed his right shoulder. They'd had a four alarm fire in a duplex on Hooper Street. His company had been the first on scene and they had to get the door open and fast; children had been trapped inside. So Finn had taken all of his considerable body weight and muscle and thrown himself into the door.

It opened after a few attempts and they had gotten the children out but he was paying for it now.

He was pretty sure Rachel wouldn't appreciate the giant bruise that was blossoming over his shoulder and down onto his bicep.

And of course it happened during his last shift before he could go home to her. He'd been on 48 hours and as soon as five o'clock came around he would be able to go home to his girlfriend and give her the best early Christmas/Hanukkah gift ever.

He knew it would be a bitch getting home tonight; it always was. Plus they lived almost directly under the Williamsburg Bridge, so he basically had to pass the complex to get to it.

But tonight, it would be worth it. He knew in his bones that this would be one of the best and most important nights of his life.

He winced again as he pulled his FDNY t-shirt back over his head and then bent down to re-tie his sneakers. He sincerely hoped the alarm didn't go off again tonight. He had plans and there was no way things would work out properly if the alarm went off ten minutes before he was meant to go home.

Which it usually did.

_But not tonight_, he prayed as he made his way down the stairs and into the rec room. _Please not tonight_.

-x-

Rachel stepped out onto the street from the Delancey Street subway and immediately tightened her coat around herself. It wasn't winter yet but the cold had descended upon Manhattan in the middle of November and had settled in for the long haul.

She adjusted her satchel against her side and tugged her hat down lower over her ears. It was quite a trek from Delancey to their apartment but she wasn't about to blow her hard-earned Christmas money on a cab to take her six and a half blocks.

Even if they were city blocks and the wind chill put the temperature right around 34 degrees.

She exhaled loudly, grumbling silently that she could see her breath and it was only December 4th. She glanced around as she quickly walked down the streets, a smile crossing her face when she caught sight of a few windows with waiting menorahs and some with already lit Christmas lights up.

She made a mental note to take Finn to the store this weekend so he could pick which lights he wanted for the apartment this year.

She hated taking late classes in the wintertime. It usually meant that she would be walking home in the dark. Luckily she had a can of mace (a gift from Finn) and her trusty rape whistle.

Sometimes, after a particularly stressful day, she wished someone would try something.

She glanced quickly at her watch and saw that it was closing in on 6:30. _Finn should be home by now_, she thought with a smile. He always texted her if there was a fire that was going to cause him to be late. Looked like tonight was going to be her lucky night.

She would be lying if she said that she was thrilled that Finn had become a firefighter. It was dangerous and she was always on edge. Most of the time she wished he would go for his EMT training just so he would be a little further out of harm's way.

But she completely supported him in his decision. When they'd gotten to New York shortly after graduating, she decided immediately that they both needed a job while she was in school. He had considered applying for the spring semester at CUNY but as soon as he saw a fire truck race down Canal Street he was hooked.

He'd immediately found a way to apply to the Academy, took the required tests and he was in.

There were many times when she wanted to talk him out of it. They may not have been there in 2001 but she remembered feeling frightened for the families of the firemen and women of the FDNY.

But she never once asked him not to do it. He left his home for her. He followed her to New York so she could live her dream and she was not about to try to keep him from accomplishing the dream he didn't know he had until he heard that siren and saw those lights.

She couldn't deny that she was excited for him when he graduated from the Academy. And she was less frightened for him when she learned he'd been assigned to Engine Company 216 in Brooklyn. Since formation in 1872 there had only been one fire-related death among the firemen. She slept a little easier at night knowing that.

The most frightening day of their life together came when it was least expected. He had texted her at 4:30 and told her that it all looked calm and the second shift had shown up early so he would be heading out in minutes.

And when she got home he wasn't there. She tried to call and text him but he didn't answer. She called the station and got no answer. She called Lucy Miller, wife of one of the other guys, and got no answer. She'd paced the small living room in their small apartment for at least ten minutes before turning on the television.

There was a five alarm fire in Crown Heights and all available units were sent over.

There were two casualties and six injuries.

And Finn was there.

She stared, unblinking, at the television as the reporter stated where the firefighters had been taken and that the Commissioner would address the city once it was done.

Rachel knew, in that moment, that she had to get to that hospital. Finn wasn't dead, she was certain she would have been able to feel it if he was, but she knew, she _knew_ that he was injured.

And she had been right. A wooden beam had fallen from the rafters and landed on Finn and two others in his department. It had knocked the wind out of him and caused him to suffer a broken wrist and a cracked rib.

That was the closest she had ever come to begging him to quit. But when he opened his eyes and let his crooked smile cross his face, his hand reaching for hers, she knew she would never ask him to give it up.

She was certain he wouldn't be able to anyway.

Ducking her head against the bitter wind caused by the cars and trucks on the bridge, she continued on her long trek home.

-x-

Finn arrived home around six o'clock with a huge grin on his face.

He knew she had class until five and was hoping, for once, that the trains were running a bit slow. He hated that she had to walk home in the dark but tonight he was going to totally make it worth it to her.

He put the ingredients for the tofu stir-fry on the island in the kitchen (they would cook together later) before picking up his discarded FDNY duffle and pulling out a few boxes of Christmas lights.

Rachel had already pulled the menorah out of the spare bedroom and had it set in the window, no candles lit because Hanukkah didn't start for another two days. He was actually pretty glad that he didn't have to hunt through her boxes of useless things from Ohio in order to find it.

He strung the lights up carefully using screws that were already affixed in the top corners of the living room. He wound them up the lamps and over the banisters to create the maximum light available. He then moved all of the furniture out of the way and laid down a picnic blanket and some throw pillows.

He put his hands on his hips and surveyed his work before finally letting a satisfied smile cross his lips. Out of instinct he moved to the window to look out and saw Rachel in her bright red coat approaching the building.

He took a deep breath and moved to the refrigerator, opening it and removing a bowl of chilled strawberries. He placed them in the middle of the blanket and then moved back into the kitchen to pour two glasses of Rachel's favorite white wine.

He quickly unplugged all of the regular lights and made sure the Christmas lights would go on when she flipped the switch.

Satisfied with his work, he toed off his shoes and tossed them into their bedroom. He shut off the lights and made his way to lean against the island, a glass of wine in each hand.

As he heard her turn the key in the lock, his stomach flipped, his heart began racing and he silently whispered to himself, _Now or never, Hudson_.

-x-

Rachel opened the door and was shocked that the apartment was pitch black. Where was Finn? She furrowed her brow slightly and reached for the light switch.

The normal lights didn't come on, however, but the apartment was bathed in the multicolored Christmas lights. Her eyes perused the room slowly before landing on Finn, who was leaning against the island that separated the kitchen and the living room.

She smiled slightly as she stepped all the way into the room and shut the door behind her. Eyes never leaving Finn's, she put down her school bag and took off her hat and coat. "What's all this?" she asked softly.

Finn shrugged (hiding the wince) and made his way towards her. He handed her a glass of wine and automatically ran his free hand over her hair to the back of her neck. "Nothing," he said softly with a gentle smile. "I just missed you is all," he added before dipping his head down so their lips could meet in a slow, sweet kiss.

"I missed you too," she told him in a murmur against his lips.

They kissed slowly for a few moment before he pulled back, dipping back in a few times for tiny, barely-there kisses, before reaching down to take her hand and pull her over to the blanket. "How was class? Did the professor give you any trouble about next week?"

"It's not uncommon for there to be Jewish students at NYU, Finn," she told him with a smile. "He's given us next week off as a review for finals."

"Good," Finn nodded as he helped her sit down on the blanket before joining her. "I'm glad we have a whole weekend together."

"Me too," she smiled. "Did you find out if Dodson could switch so you could be here for the first night of Hanukkah?"

He frowned deeply and shook his head. "Big D was fine with it but Cappy said we couldn't switch. But I got my schedule," he added at her frown, "and I'll be home for nights three, four, seven and eight."

"Better than nothing," she smiled regretfully.

"Listen," he told her as he put down his wine glass and then took hers from her hand, "I know it sucks right now. But it's only my second full year at the station. One day I'll be able to take the whole eight days off to be with you. And our children," he added softly as he gently took her hand, his rough, calloused fingers toying with her smooth, tiny ones.

"I can't wait," she told him breathlessly before leaning towards him and pressing her lips against his.

Finn quickly assessed the situation. He knew where Rachel wanted to take this, right now, and he knew that was where they would be headed soon anyway. He needed to slow things down. He didn't want to do this when they were in the middle of sex. He knew she wouldn't believe his sincerity.

So he forced himself to pull away. He thought he was going to die at the little whine that she let escape.

"Finn?" she asked as she scooted closer to him. "I haven't seen you in two days. Why is it that every time we kiss you break it up when I know you want me just as much as I want you?"

"God, Rachel, of course I do," he told her seriously as he leaned in to press a quick kiss to her lips. "I just … there's something I want to talk to you about first. And I know if we keep kissing it'll get tabled and heaven only knows when we'll get back to it."

"I say we table it and _after_," she emphasized with a slide in his direction, "I'll remind you that there was something you wanted to talk about."

"Rach, babe, please," he groaned. "Just … just give me five minutes. And if I haven't gotten my point across in five minutes then I probably never will and we can get right to the fun part."

She squinted her eyes at him, slightly unbelieving, but then nodded.

"Fine. But in five minutes the clothes come off, conversation over or not. Deal?"

"Deal," he agreed with a smile. Then he stood and reached for her hand. "Dance with me?"

She laughed slightly and shook her head but stood up. "Of course."

He leaned over to his right and hit the play button on his iPod dock. Smooth sounds of country music started up and Finn ignored the arched brow his girlfriend was giving him.

Dierks Bentley's _My Last Name_ started to play but Finn was sure Rachel had never heard it before. He cradled her to his body, swaying softly to the music, sometimes whispering the words, sometimes humming, sometimes simply holding her silently.

His heart rate sped up as his part come on. He took a deep breath and backed away from her slightly before singing, "_So darlin' if you're wonderin' why I've got you here tonight; I wanna be your husband, I want you to be my wife; I ain't got much to give you but what I've got means everything; It's my last name …_" Then he reached into his pocket, pulled out the ring box and opened it then slid to one knee. "Rachel Berry, I love you. Please marry me and say you'll be mine for the rest of forever."

A tear slowly slid down her cheek as she nodded quickly. "Yes," she whispered. "Yes! Of course!" she cried out.

Finn let out a somewhat embarrassing _whoop_ of joy before sliding the ring onto her finger and popping up to wrap his arms around her. "Thank you. I love you. Thank you," he repeated as he peppered kisses over her cheeks and jaw and nose and lips.

"Finn?" she giggled as she pulled away and glanced down to the beautifully understated diamond on her finger.

"Yeah?" he asked with a wide grin, arms still wrapped around her.

Her bright eyes grew dark with desire and she huskily whispered, "Your five minutes are up."

Finn's grin turned wicked as he lifted her into his arms. "You know, I think you're right. Let's move this to the bedroom."

"No," she told him as she slowly shook her head. "Here. Under the Christmas lights. Right where you asked me."

His eyes locked with hers and he nodded just as slowly. "Absolutely."

He slowly, carefully, lowered her to the blanket and pressed his body to hers. His fingers ran gently over her body, only occasionally slipping under the hem of her shirt or ghosting over the button of her jeans.

Rachel, however, high on love and her engagement, was not willing for this to be super slow and drawn out. She wanted him. Now. And she would have him.

"Finn? I love you and I love that you want this to be tender and loving. I really do. But please, babe, please just make love to me."

He nodded shortly and lifted himself to his knees, his fingers grasping the bottom of her argyle sweater. She lifted herself slightly so that he was able to pull it over her head. He didn't let her lay back down, however, until he removed her bra as well.

It still surprised him, sometimes, that looking at her body never got old. They'd been together since high school and still, every time they were intimate she took his breath away. "God, you're beautiful," he whispered reverently before leaning down to press his lips against her collarbone.

"Not so fast," she giggled. "Off with it," she told him before quickly tugging his FDNY t-shirt over his head.

Unfortunately he was unable to stop himself from crying out as the pain that shot through his right shoulder.

"Finn?" she asked fearfully with wide eyes. "What is it?"

"Nothing, baby," he reassured her. "I was just a human battering ram at work today. It's just a bruise. I'll heal."

He expected her to call the whole thing off. Well, the sex part, at least. She was always too nervous to have sex with him after he was injured at work.

Apparently, she had a different solution.

"I suppose that means you won't be able to hold yourself above me for any length of time," she said seriously. Just as he was about to protest she smirked. "Looks like I get to be on top tonight," she informed him before wrapping her legs around his waist and, using the element of surprise, flipped their positions so she was straddling him.

Finn had absolutely no problem with his fiancé's line of thinking.

He skimmed his hands slowly up and down her bare sides, once in a while bringing them over to cup her breasts as she slowly rubbed herself against his straining hardness.

"What do you say we get rid of these jeans?" she asked him with a sultry look before unfastening the button and sliding down the zipper. "Lift," she whispered as she leaned down to press an open-mouthed kiss to the skin just below his jaw. He did as he was told and she had to restrain herself from praising him for it.

"Yours now," he gasped out as he felt the chilled air of the apartment hit his shins after he kicked off his jeans.

She smiled and sat up, slowly unbuttoning her jeans and sliding the zipper down. She stood to pull them off, leaving her underpants in place, and then toed off her socks. With a wicked grin, she moved down to his feet and slowly pulled his own socks off.

His eyes shut and his head rolled back when he felt the fist press of her lips against one of his kneecaps. He forced himself to only groan slightly when she repeated the action with his other.

She slowly made her way up his body, her lips and tongue peppering tiny, barely-there kisses up his thighs then to his hips and up his abdomen to his chest.

He opened his eyes when he didn't feel the next anticipated kiss. As soon as his gaze met hers she lowered her lips again and took one nipple into her mouth.

He couldn't stifle his groan this time if someone had been holding a gun to his head.

"God, Rach. Please," he begged. He had no idea what he was begging for but he knew he needed it now. He needed more. More of her lips, more of her skin. Just more of her. When he felt her move to his other nipple he groaned in both pleasure and frustration. He was pretty certain she had said she didn't want it slow and teasing right now.

As if she heard his thoughts, she slowly disengaged from his nipple and kissed and licked her way down his torso again. She pressed a kiss to the area just below his bellybutton before slowly skimming her hands down his sides and curling her fingers around the elastic of his boxer shorts. She looked up to meet his eyes with a smile before slowly sliding them down his legs and off.

She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth and met his gaze and then took him into her hand. She slowly (_Too slowly!_ his mind screamed) slid her hand up and down his shaft before leaning down a pressing a kiss to the tip. She let her lips linger there for a moment before she opened her mouth and took him inside.

He lasted all of ten second before he blurted, "Rachel, babe. Stop. You gotta stop. I won't last if you keep going like that."

She slowly pulled off, her tongue teasing his tip for a brief second, before sliding back up his body and pressing a hot kiss to his lips. "I love that you still can't control yourself around me," she moaned as she ground her hips into his pelvis.

Finn nodded in agreement before smoothing his hands down her sides and running them slowly under her underpants and over her rear. "Baby, it's time. Please. I need you," he moaned helplessly, his fingers grasping her flesh to try to get her to stop her movements.

Without waiting for an answer he pushed her underpants down her legs and nearly died when she wiggled to get them off. She was going to be the death of him yet.

When she was completely naked, she once again straddled his hips. She reached between then and gently grasped his shaft, positioning herself directly above him.

"Rach," he moaned out, his hands gripping her hips to stop her.

"Just tonight," she whispered as she leaned down to press a kiss against his lips. "It's not the right time and I really just want to feel you inside me. Just you. Just tonight. Please," she practically begged.

He knew he should protest. Neither of them were ready to be parents. He rationalized that she knew her body better than anyone and, to be honest, he liked the idea of nothing being between them tonight.

He nodded his ascent and she smiled briefly before repositioning herself. She slowly lowered herself onto him and he let out a loud groan that mixed with hers as she bottomed out.

Then the torture started new. She agonizingly slowly lifted herself and lowered herself, his hands gripping her hips like a lifeline. She repeated the action once, twice, three times, before he decided he could deal with the shoulder pain if they could only _pick up the pace_. Without any warning, he swiftly rolled them over, his forearms supporting his weight on top of her.

With a wicked grin, he shifted his weight (causing them both to moan loudly) and slid his fingertips down her right leg. He grasped the skin of her thigh firmly and tugged up, pulling her leg higher on his hip and changing the angle.

The cry she let out only made him grin harder. "Keep that there," he told her before sliding his hands up her sides and down her arms to bring them around his neck. "I would hold on if I were you."

She moaned again before digging her fingers into the back of his neck.

He tried to torture her a bit now, slowly pushing in and pulling out, but his need quickly overtook his desire and his hips began to thrust in earnest.

He couldn't decide where he wanted to focus so his eyes roamed her body as far as they could. He took in the sight of her closed eyes and parted lips, the sheen of sweat forming on her brow and then he let his eyes focus on two of his favorite parts of her.

Slowly, without breaking rhythm, he leaned down to pull a stiff nipple into his mouth. It was difficult, to be sure, to do this without messing up his thrusts, but he'd learned because …

"Finn!" she cried wantonly, her head thrust back and eyes clamped shut.

… Rachel really liked it when he sucked on her breasts while he was inside her.

He wanted to make this last all night but he was a realist (or so Rachel told him) and he knew that he wouldn't be able to hold out much longer. He slowly pulled away from her nipple, taking a moment to lavish the same attention on her other one, before dragging his bottom lip over her heated skin, eyes focused on her face. He kissed her then, hotly, wetly, and with as much passion as he had the energy for. His thrusts were becoming erratic and he was sure he had only minutes, if that long, left before he couldn't stop himself.

"I love you," he groaned out as his lips attached to a sensitive spot below her jaw and his right hand slowly slid down her body. Swiftly, honestly not caring that he didn't drag this moment out longer, he pressed his thumb to her swollen clit and she cried out louder than he'd heard in a long time.

Her walls clamped around him and her body shuttered almost violently, his name shouted breathlessly as if it was being pulled from her throat.

Yeah, not much chance of him holding it in after _that_.

He shouted his released into her parted lips. He thrust into her few more time, his rhythm slowing until his hips eventually came to a stop.

He slid down slightly and rested his sweaty brown against her equally as sweaty breast, both of them breathing hard. His eyes shut as his fingers skimmed slowly, gently, over the heated skin on her sides.

Rachel brought her hands up (using great effort) and gently carded her fingers through Finn's hair. A smile crossed her lips as her eyes focused on the Christmas lights that cast a beautiful multicolored spectrum across their small living room.

"I love you," she whispered softly to him as her fingers gently ran over the bruise on his shoulder.

Finn's only response was a loud snore.


	2. Letting Go

"There are only so many ways I can say no, Finn," Carole sighed as she watched her son pace angrily through the kitchen, her eyes focused on the pot of spaghetti sauce in front of him.

"Then maybe you should stop trying to say no and listen to me," he shot back, hands running through his already-messy hair. "Maybe …"

"You'd be wise to watch your mouth, young man," his mother responded as her eyes narrowed. "You may be eighteen and legally an adult, but you're still my son and living under my roof. I'm sorry, Finn, but no. You're not …"

"Mom, I love her. I'm _in love_ with her. And she's moving to New York in three weeks."

"That's right, Finn. _She's_ moving to New York. _You're_ going to Allen County Community College," Carole stressed.

Burt and Kurt sat at the table beside Carole, both wondering exactly which of them would come out on top. They'd been having the same fight for nearly five months, since Rachel received her early acceptance to NYU and announced in glee club that she wasn't even bothering to open the letters she was going to receive from Ohio State and Cincinnati. (She had gotten in to both, of course.)

As soon as Rachel had told him she was moving, he told his parents and Kurt that he was going with her. (At the time, he was still waiting to hear back from several schools including CUNY, Ohio State and Allen Community. He got into the latter two but not the former.) Kurt had smiled and congratulated his step-brother on having a plan, Burt had nodded once but quickly stopped when he saw the look on his wife's face.

Carole was not amused.

And thus the fighting began. Every time Finn got a good grade on a test he would proudly present it to his mother and then tell her it showed that he could make it in New York.

His mother somehow failed to reconcile the fact that since he got a B+ on a history test he would be able to survive in New York City.

It made perfect sense to him.

Telling Rachel that his mother told him he couldn't go with her to New York was both humiliating and heartbreaking. She had stared at him for what felt like hours before her bottom lip poked out a miniscule amount. Which then turned into a little, a lot, and a full-on pout.

But she didn't say anything about it, not really. She said she still had the music scholarship to Cincinnati and they would figure it out.

Well, that wasn't going to work for him. So he wrote back to Cincinnati (in her name) and told them she loved the school and that she thought their music program was "kick butt" but she was going to NYU so she "could be famous and on Broadway".

Rachel was not amused.

But what was done was done and he wouldn't feel bad about it. Rachel was destined to be a star and he would never be able to live with himself if he was the reason she didn't make it.

New York had been her dream since long before that day on that stage and that song that they never did finish.

And she hadn't been wrong when she said her dreams were bigger than him.

Well, she sort of was because he was _part_ of her dream, at least, even if she had been too angry to admit it at the time.

So, of course, he and Rachel had a fight. It wasn't as bad as the one in junior year after she'd kissed his best friend, but none of their fights would ever be that bad again. (He would be grateful in the future for that small favor.)

But Finn kept fighting with Carole. Every day he would go home and mention something about New York. And Carole would tell him he wasn't going.

Every day for five months.

Kurt and Burt were not amused.

"Finn, I think it's wonderful that you love her enough to throw your life away …" Carole began.

"Don't finish that sentence," Finn rejoined harshly. "I love you, Mom, and you know that. I'm like the only dude my age that hangs out with his mom because he wants to. But I love Rachel, Mom. And she's … she's my future, okay? Yes, she is destined for greatness. She's gonna be famous and all that. She'll win Grammys and Tommys and whatever. She's destined to be something so much bigger than this town. But me? Mom, I'm destined for _her_. She's … she's it for me."

"You're eighteen, Finn. You can't possibly know that she's _it_ for you. What have you had, two girlfriends?"

"It only takes one to be the one," he responded. "And she's the one for me."

"Finn, you can't know that without spending some time apart," Carole sighed.

"We spent time apart, Mom, and it nearly killed me. I was completely _miserable_ until we got back together. You know that. You saw me every day."

"It's true," Kurt interjected. "I started dulling the blades on the razors in the bathroom in fear of Finn taking matters into his own hands and finally becoming a true emo kid."

"Stop helping, Kurt," Finn responded.

"Now, I don't know what this emo thing is," But added, "but I do know that Finn was really down when he and Rachel were broken up." When Carole stared at him, her eyes narrowed and her nostrils flaring in that scary way, Burt quickly shut his mouth.

"See!" Finn cried out. "I wouldn't be like that if it wasn't real, Mom. You know me better than that!"

"I have no doubt that you love Rachel, Finn …"

"I'm _in love_ with her," he corrected quickly.

"Okay. You're in love with her. But what happens if, like you say, she becomes famous and decides that she can't be with someone with no ambition?"

"Carole," Burt said lowly.

"No," Finn said to his step-father. "It's a good question. But, Mom, it's not that I don't have ambition. It's … I just don't know what it is yet. _Yet_. Maybe I'll find it in New York."

"You know how I feel about maybes and your future, Finn," Carole said with a weary sigh.

"But _everything_ is a maybe until it's certain," Finn rejoined as he threw his hands in the air.

The room went silent until Kurt, mouth slack, said, "That was oddly insightful, Finn."

"Thanks, dude, but that doesn't mean it's not true."

Kurt crossed his arms, rolled his eyes and looked away.

"I think this discussion is over," Carole said definitively before turning back to stir the spaghetti sauce.

"You're right," Finn said seriously. "This discussion _is_ over. I'm going to New York with Rachel. And you're not going to be able to stop me," he added, eyes locked on his mother's. He nodded once and spun on his heel, grabbing his keys off the hook and slamming the front door behind him.

"Finn!" Carole shouted after her son. "Finn Hudson, you come back here this instant!"

"Carole," Burt said softly.

"He is in _so much trouble_," she fumed as she shook (a little too much) oregano into the pot.

Kurt stood and left the room, not even remotely comfortable with being in the room while his father tried to calm his step-mother down.

"Honey, I think it's time you accept that he's going to follow that girl wherever she goes," he continued.

"But he needs …"

"He needs his mother to support him. And he needs to be with Rachel," Burt told her. "And I know it's hard for you to accept that maybe now there's a woman he needs more than his mother …"

"That's not it at all!"

"I think it might be," he said softly. "You've been the most important part of his life for eighteen years. But now that he's a man, and he is, you're afraid that since Rachel is so important to him that she's _more_ important than you and that maybe he doesn't need you at all anymore?" he finished in a question. At her purposely blank look he sighed and forged on. "He will _always_ need you, baby. I promise."

"But not the most anymore?" she asked quietly.

"Probably not," he told her honestly, his eyes locked on hers. "But, hey. If it makes you feel any better, _I_ need you the most."

"Promise?"

"Always," he whispered as he wrapped his arms around her. "And just think," he added. "Kurt'll be in San Francisco and Finn will be in New York. You know what that means?"

She shook her head. "The phone bills will be uncontrollable?"

"No," he whispered with a little grin. "We'll have this house all to ourselves."

She watched him for a moment before a grin took over her face as well. "I'll let him know he can go when he gets home tonight."

"That's my girl," Burt laughed before pressing a kiss to his wife's lips.

.**xo**.

This is dedicated to my wifey, **egyouppt**. I know you're going to kick butt on that final!


	3. Birthday Surprises

He was surprised when Sadie still had blonde hair on her fifth birthday. Rachel told him she could have it for years, maybe for the rest of her life. (His wife then proceeded to give him a college-level lecture regarding recessive genes.)

But his little girl, his little Sadie, was as blonde as the day she was born. (Well, as blonde as the day she started getting hair because she was completely bald when she was born.) And she was turning five today.

He was not thrilled with the idea that his baby was getting another year older and another year closer to high school and college and moving out and getting married.

She was practically a mother herself.

"Rach, babe, can we cancel the party?" he called through the house as he hung Disney Princess streamers up in the den.

"Why?" she asked as she walked into the room sliding an earring into her ear. "Is everything okay?"

"Thirteen screaming toddlers and my brother all under one roof that we have to supervise? Babe, I'm really thinking we should move this thing to Chuck E. Cheese or something."

"Finn," she laughed as she smoothed out her dress, "everything's going to be fine. Your mother and Burt will be over in a little while and Tina's due to arrive around two. Jenna's going to drop Sadie off at noon after she gets out of school. On that note, Eileen wants to make an appointment for us to go in to discuss Sadie's art project. Apparently our daughter is showing extremely advanced artistic talents."

"Of course she is," Finn smiled as he climbed from the step stool and walked over to kiss his wife on the cheek. "I don't think Calhoun would have taken her if she was a slouch like Puckerman's kid."

"First, I'm sure Ben is incredibly intelligent. But, as you're well aware, the school system in Lima isn't exactly conducive to leading students towards higher education."

"I'd like to lead _you_ towards some higher education," Finn smiled as he wrapped his hands around her waist.

"Since I'm late for my meeting with Greg I'm going to go ahead and let you suffer with the knowledge that you just gave me your worst line since your sad attempt to convince me that sex would help induce labor," she told him before pecking him on the cheek and spinning on her heel. "I'll be back before Sadie gets home. Call if you need something and if I don't answer call Greg's secretary and have her put you through. Oh, and you'd better not cancel the party while I'm gone!" she called over her shoulder before slipping out the front door.

"Damnit," Finn whispered before climbing back on the stool and resisting the urge to stick a thumbtack through Cinderella's face.

..x..

"Daddy!" his little angel screamed (with her mother's lungs) as she ran into the house.

"Hey there, birthday girl," he said with a smile as he dropped to his knees and allowed her to vault into his open arms. "How was school?"

"Good. Ms. McDonnell got mad though cuz I kept singing in yoga cuz I didn't wanna just sit there. It was so _boring_, Daddy. I think you should write me a note so I don't hafta go to that class anymore."

"Sorry, baby," Finn laughed as he pressed a kiss to her curls. "You have to take yoga. It's required."

"That's dumb," she muttered under her breath.

"I'm with you," he responded in the same tone. "Now, what do you think?"

"I love it!" she screamed as she backed away from her father, threw her arms wide and spun in circles. "Do I get to wear my Cinderella dress to the party?"

"Sorry, kiddo. You have to wear the dress Pop Pop got for you. He's coming a real long way to see you wear it."

"It's pink," she deadpanned.

"You love pink."

"It's _really_ pink."

"It's only for a few hours."

"How about if I wear the dress I get to sleep in bed with you and Mommy this week?" she asked and batted her eyelashes at him.

"How about you wear the dress to make Pop Pop smile?" he replied.

"Four days?"

"Zero days."

"You're not even negoshitting with me, Daddy!" she cried and stomped her little foot.

"That's because I'm the Daddy and you're the little girl and, you know, you gotta do what I say. It's in the rule book or something." She gave him an incredulous look. "Just wear the dress or Pop Pop will be sad."

"I think you just wanna win this fight," she told him, her eyes narrowed and her hands on her hips.

"This isn't a fight," he sighed. When he heard giggling, he looked over to see Jenna, Sadie's part-time nanny, standing in the doorway with a smile on her face. "Hey, Jenna."

"Hey, Mr. Hudson," she smiled. "The class was treated to chocolate during snack time today, so …"

Finn groaned and hung his head. "Great."

"I needa get dressed!" Sadie cried suddenly. Then she paused. "Where's Mommy?"

"Mommy's in the shower," he told her quickly, flashes of the situation that led to his wife being in the shower zipping through his head.

"Mommy takes lotsa showers," Sadie said as she turned to Jenna. "Sometimes Daddy tells her she's a dirty girl. I think it's from all the makeup for when she has to be Maureen."

"Okay!" Finn cried out, eyes wide. "Jenna, you're more than welcome to bring Nate to the party tonight if you want to." 

"Thanks, Mr. H. I'll run it by him and we'll see you around six," she told him with a smile before waving goodbye to the Hudsons and heading back out the door.

"I need to go get dressed," Sadie said again before skipping to the stairs. "And I'll wear the dress Pop Pop got me."

"Thanks, baby," Finn said with a smiled. He watched her climb the stairs before flopping onto the couch and groaning loudly.

Sometimes he wished his daughter were a little more unobservant.

He was going to have to keep his voice down in the bedroom from then on.

..x..

"Okay, kids," Rachel called from the center of the room. "I think it's time for presents."

"Yay!" Sadie screamed before jetting over to her daddy's chair and climbing into it.

She was handed present after present, ripping off the paper in a way that left Rachel wondering if there was any chance that her husband had coached her daughter in the art of present opening.

With three gifts left, the little girl was pouting a little bit more. She hated when the attention stopped. Because after presents always came cake and kids liked cake better than _anything_.

"Thank you for the art set, Johnny," she said almost sadly before grabbing the next gift in front of her.

"That's from Pop Pop and Mom Mom," Rachel said as the little girl tore into the small box.

It was a necklace with a pallet and a paintbrush on it.

She smiled brightly and hugged them, Burt grinning like a fool because his little angel liked the charm he picked out, thanking him loudly and then hugging Carole and thanking her as well.

Rachel handed her the last present with a shaky smile. "This one is from Mommy," she told the little girl.

Finn furrowed his brow and looked over to his wife.

Sadie tore into the paper and popped open the box. She pulled out a little pink t-shirt that Finn couldn't see the front of, her brow a mirror of her father's. "I don't get it," she said seriously.

"Don't get what?" Finn asked. "What's on it?"

Sadie pushed out her bottom lip and turned the t-shirt around. "I'm not a big sister."

Finn's jaw dropped open and his eyes flew from the t-shirt to his wife. "Sister?"

"Sister," Rachel said with a little smile.

"Today?" Sadie screamed, eyes darting around the room to look for a baby.

"Not yet, honey. In a few months," she responded.

"But it won't be my birthday in a few months," the five year old pointed out needlessly.

"No, it won't."

Sadie sighed and stuck out her bottom lip. "I don't like it when it's not my birthday."

"I know, baby girl," Rachel said.

..x..

"Thank God Mom and Dad decided to take Sadie to stay with them tonight," Finn said as he pushed Rachel against the wall in the kitchen and his lips latched onto her neck.

Rachel laughed and carded her fingers through his hair. "It _does_ give us time to talk."

"Screw talking," Finn growled and suckled harder on her skin as his fingers moved to her back to slide the zipper of her dress down. "I need to make love with you right now."

"Make love?" Rachel laughed again as he hastily pulled her dress from her body and let it drop to the floor before pulling back to tear his shirt over his head. "I don't think that's what you're planning right now."

"Rachel …"

She smiled brightly and slowly moved to unhook her bra. "Because when you make love to me, it's slow and sweet …"

His shaking hands moved to his belt as he tore at it in an attempt to get it unbuckled. "Can't do that right now."

She let her bra straps slide down her arms, a wicked grin on her face. "But you said …"

"Fuck you," he breathed out as he shoved his pants and boxers down his legs and left them puddle at his feet. "I need to fuck you," he continued shakily. "Right here and right now."

Rachel laughed and hooked her fingers into her underwear but Finn shoved them away and used his own to push them down her legs. In one swift move he wrapped his hands under her thighs and hoisted her up. "You ready?" he asked her, eyes wide, cheeks flushed, breathing heavy and forehead already sweaty.

He'd been hard since she subtly announced her pregnancy to a room full of friends, family and children.

The following two hours had been _torture_.

"Ehh …" she said teasingly.

He groaned loudly and pressed his lips to hers, his tongue immediately seeking the warmth of her mouth.

The only problem Finn could really find with their height difference was that he couldn't take her against the wall and be able to kiss her at the same time without bending in an uncomfortable way.

Making sure her legs were tight around his waist, he moved one hand to the back of her neck and the other to the small of her back and spun them away from the wall.

(He briefly considered placing her on the cook top of their stove but the fireman in him couldn't help but think of it as a hazard.)

He dropped her on the hardwood surface of the table and moved his lips down to the juncture of her neck and shoulder. "I love you so much," he whispered reverently.

"I love you, too," she replied, her head tilting back.

With a wicked grin of his own he removed her arms from around his neck and placed them behind her on the table, sliding them back until she was angled away from him. He gave her half a smile and a wink before wrapping his lips around one nipple.

"Finn," she breathed. "While I enjoy this …"

"Shhh," he whispered, the air blowing across the wet peak. He then moved to her other nipple and provided it with the same attention.

When one hand moved up to fist in his hair, he released her breast and slowly kissed his way down her body to her abdomen. "Hi, baby," he whispered to her bellybutton before continuing his path down to her glistening sex.

"Finn," she groaned out, her head dropping back and her eyes falling shut.

He pulled his bottom lip into his mouth and just _looked_. A tiny part of him, back after they had just gotten married, was afraid that one day he would get tired of being with her.

Seven years of marriage later and each time was better than the last.

"Finn," she said again, this time impatiently, as she attempted to tilt her hips towards him.

"Anything you want, babe," he chuckled before lowering his mouth to press against her opening. He exhaled through his nose, which sent a puff of air across her swollen clit, and darted his tongue into her opening.

She _screamed_. (He would never get tired of exactly how responsive his wife is.)

"Shh," he whispered against her folds, his tongue teasing and tasting her.

"Finn, please," she begged, her fist tightening in his hair.

His hand slid to her hip and his lips moved to her clit. He stabbed his tongue rapidly, his wife moaning louder with each press.

He loved pleasing his wife. He loved her taste, her touch, her smell. And he loved that she loved it when he went down on her.

But he was getting impatient.

He needed her, and he needed her _now_.

So he wrapped his lips around her clit and _sucked_.

He can't remember a time when she screamed louder or came harder.

He was _the man_!

"Now," she demanded, her hips bucking towards him. "Finn, now, please."

He brought his hands to cup her jaw and pressed his lips to hers in a hard, deep kiss. He kept one hand on her jaw and gripped himself in his other hand. He gave himself two good pumps before shifting and sliding into her with one sharp thrust.

He was pretty sure she almost came again.

He was embarrassed (too embarrassed) to admit that he wasn't going to be able to last long at all. He was hoping it would be long enough to get her off one more time.

"I love you," his whispered to her as his hips pistoned into her rapidly. "I love you so much."

"I love you, too," she responded, her voice shaky and her fingers wrapped tightly in his hair. "God, Finn, please."

He didn't know what she was asking for but he was hell-bent on giving it to her. His hips snapped almost harshly as his lips wandered down to pull a nipple back into his mouth.

She matched him thrust for thrust, her hands wandering to his back, her nails raking over his skin, marking it, possibly breaking it. "Harder," she begged brokenly. "Just a little more."

He obeyed immediately and as soon as he heard her whimper (which was sometimes better than her scream) and felt her pulsing around him, he groaned his own release and emptied himself inside of her.

They both came down slowly, breathing harsh and bodies shaking. Finn rested his head against her breast and Rachel wrapped her arms around his shoulders to keep herself upright.

"Thank you," he whispered against her moist skin.

She chuckled weakly. "I'm pretty sure you did most of the work."

"For this," he whispered as his hand slowly moved to her abdomen. "For the baby. Thank you," he repeated.

She smiled to herself and whispered nonsense as he kept repeating "Thank you" over and over again.

She knew she would never tire of how grateful he was when he found out she was pregnant. (He had the same reaction when they learned about Sadie.)

She ran her fingers through his hair a few more times before nudging him lightly. "I think it's time for bed."

"It's only nine o'clock," he told her drowsily.

"I never said anything about sleeping," she told him slyly as she slid from beneath him and took off down the hallway.

He suddenly wasn't so tired anymore.


	4. The Recruit

Thanks to **LC 86** for the info on the Brooklyn recruiting!

.**xo**.

"I just need to pop into one more store and then we can go," Rachel said with a smile as she swung her and Finn's linked hands.

Her boyfriend groaned under his breath. They had been at the mall all day. Well, okay, so it was probably only about two hours but she had been trying on shoes and clothes for her first week of classes since the mall opened at ten am.

He was starting to get hungry and her bags were kinda heavy.

Not that he couldn't handle a few shopping bags.

"Sure, babe," he said with a forced grin. "Where do you need to go?"

She shot him a sly little smile and said, "Victoria's Secret," as she pulled him into the semi-crowded shop.

Finn had absolutely no problem with one more stop if it was here. (He wondered for the millionth time if the staff would let him into the dressing room with his girlfriend when she tried on the goods. He assumed no when he saw about ten guys sitting on the weird pink couches in the back of the store.)

Damnit.

"Finn, why don't you go sit down on one of the benches outside, babe?" Rachel called over her shoulder as she pushed her way through the throng of ladies hovering around a table of on-sale, barely-there panties. "I might take a little while."

"More fun to be surprised anyway," he responded with a laugh. He chose to ignore the dirty looks the both the staff and the not-as-lucky guys on the ugly pink couches shot at him.

Okay, so Finn really didn't _hate_ the mall, per se, and the Atlantic Center Mall was so much better than the one back in Lima. It had an awesome Gamestop with tons of cheap games (and he and Rachel were kinda pinching pennies right now since he didn't have a job and their apartment was crazy expensive even if it was a piece of complete crap that needed work worse than he did) and the Pathmark had some pretty good vegan selections for a lower price than most of the markets did. Win-win.

He offered the losers holding their girls' purses and shit a smug smile before stepping out into the busying corridor of the mall. Through a small gap in the flow of traffic he saw a booth set up and decided to take a look. Maybe they were giving away free samples of something. It was too early for Hickory Farms or other awesome food but who knew.

Maybe it was a raffle to win tickets to see the Mets or something.

Score.

So he made his way through the crowd and came face to face with a table recruiting for the FDNY.

"How are you today, son?" an older man in a polo shirt asked as Finn stepped up to the table.

"Fine, sir," he responded, his eyes glued on the pamphlets that were spread out over the navy tablecloth. "How about you?"

"Great. You interested in being a fireman?"

Finn scrunched his brows together and thought about it. Sure, when he and Rachel first got to the city and he saw the gleaming red engine fly down the road, lights flashing and sirens blaring he thought that it sounded exciting. He thought it would be awesome to make a difference like that: save people, help people, do good.

It wasn't even about being a hero. (Though he thought his dad would probably think he was one if he signed up.) He just knew he wanted to do something with his life, something worthwhile.

"I don't know," Finn answered. "Wait. That's not true. Well, not entirely. I mean, yes. Yes, I do want to be a fireman. But, I mean, it's a lot of responsibility and I don't know if I'd be too good at that part, you know? I've kinda been a screw-up a lot and if I screwed up being a fireman people could die."

"People could die if you screw up driving your car, son."

Finn refused to allow himself to think of the mailman. It wasn't cool thinking about that day _at all_ with another dude near him.

"I … yeah. I get that. I mean, I know what you're saying. But when I drive my car – well, if I had a car, I mean – kids don't, you know, dress up like me for Halloween."

The older man chuckled. "Well, you've got me there. But if you think it's something you want to do …"

"I do. I mean, right now it's just information right? If, you know, say, for example, I look into it and decide I think I can do it but then when I get there and the guys in charge take a look at me and just _know_ that I'd be crap at it then it's not like, you know, the slave trade or something, right? I can always get out before I'm, uh, in?"

"What's her name?"

"I'm sorry?"

"The girl you're worried about right now. What's her name?"

"Sir, I don't …"

"Ralph," the man said. "And don't give me that I don't know what you're talking about line, son. I've been doing this job for fifteen years and at least twice a day a young man walks up to this table and I see the look in his eyes – the one that says he thinks he may have just found what he didn't know he was looking for – but this guy? He always freezes up. And it's always, _always_ because of a girl. So, I'll ask again. What's her name?"

"Rachel, sir. Her name is Rachel," Finn responded softly. He glanced over her shoulder and didn't see her at the table she was perusing before. "And she's … she's my world you know? And, the way I see it, people are good at things right? But everyone really great at one thing. I'm great at being her boyfriend."

Finn watched as a smile began to spread across Ralph's face and then he felt a pair of slender arms wrap around him from behind.

"Hey, babe. What's goin' on?"

"Nothing," he responded and turned to face her, his lips automatically seeker hers.

She wouldn't be distracted, however. After she gave him a peck she stepped out of his embrace and glanced over at the table. "FDNY?" she asked, eyes moving from the Maltese Cross to her boyfriend and back.

"We were just talkin', babe. Honest."

"But you said the other day that you might be interested in looking into it," she told him as she turned back to the table and picked up a pamphlet. "Don't you want to get more information?"

"What?" Finn asked clearly confused that Rachel wasn't freaking out at the idea of him thinking about being a fireman.

"I saw the look in your eyes that day, Finn. And I think you would be really good at it. So I suggest signing up on this list," she told him as she grabbed a pen and scribbled his name, "and taking these," she told him as she shoved a couple of pamphlets into his hands, "and going to the recruitment meeting on September 15th. Does that sound reasonable to you?" she asked Ralph, a smile on her face.

"Yes, ma'am," he responded with a nod. "Finn Hudson?" Ralph asked, his eyes scanning the page. "Where you from originally, son? Sound Midwestern."

"Ohio," Finn smiled briefly going back to the small town where his mother and step-father were probably enjoying the peace and quiet since today was when Kurt was supposed to leave for San Francisco.

"Knew a Hudson from Ohio once," Ralph chuckled. "Good guy. He was from a place in the western part of the state called Lima. Ever heard of it?"

Rachel gripped onto Finn's forearm tightly. He ignored the slight pain of her nails digging into his skin. "What was his name?"

"Chris. Good guy. His wife just had a baby last I saw him. He was home on leave and was sent back. Had a picture of himself in this ratty chair," Ralph chuckled. "But the look on his face when he was holding his kid? Man, I am so glad I got to know what that felt like after I was sent home. I got shot a few days after he came back and was sent home. Never did find out how he's doing."

"He died," Finn said. "He, uh. He died. In the war."

"So you did know him?" Ralph asked, but his voice was sad.

"Yeah, uh," Finn cleared his throat and rubbed at the back of his neck. "He was my dad."

Ralph stared at the young man for a moment before walking out from behind the table and offering his hand to Finn. When he took it, Ralph looked him straight in the eyes and said, "It's an honor to meet you, son. Your dad was one of the greatest people I knew. He was a coupla years older than me and taught me what it meant to be a soldier and a man. And he loved you."

"Thank you," Finn replied, his voice shaky. He cleared his throat. "So, uhm, September 15th?"

"That's right. The address is on the last pamphlet your girl gave you. I'll see you there, Rookie," Ralph concluded with a smile before nodding to Rachel and heading over to talk to a young woman who had wandered to the table.

"Finn," Rachel whispered in concern when he took her hand and started leading her down the corridor. "Are you okay?"

"I think it was a sign," he said seriously. "I think … I think this is what I'm supposed to do. This is what I'm going to do. I'm going to help people, protect people." He stopped and turned to face her. "You're okay with this? I mean, you're not going to be mad if I get accepted?"

"I'm so proud of you for even considering it, Finn," she told him honestly. "And if this is what you want to do I promise I will support you. You know I won't like how dangerous it is, but you've supported me in everything I've done since tenth grade. It's the least I can do to return the favor." She stood on her toes and pressed a kiss to his lips. "I'll be behind you no matter what you choose, Finn."

"I love you," he told her seriously.

"I love you, too," she giggled in response. She took his hand again. "Now how about we go home and I give you a private fashion show of my purchases?" she asked with a grin as she wiggled the Victoria's Secret bag in front of him.

He honestly had to tell himself it would be inappropriate to throw her over his shoulder (he should really practice his fireman's carry) and run out of the mall.

-x-

Fifteen weeks later (two until September 15th and thirteen of training at the Probationary Firefighter's School – from which he graduated at the top of his class), he smiled as his mentor Ralph Barnes handed his pin to Rachel to pin on his new uniform.

His mother and Burt were in the audience filming so they could send it to Kurt.

His girlfriend smiled proudly at him as she placed the gleaming gold pin on the lapel of his navy blue jacket. She mouthed the words _I love you_ and _I'm proud of you_ before Ralph escorted her from the stage.

Later that night, after drinks with his family and Ralph's family, Finn took his girlfriend home and let her peel his new dress uniform from his body inch by inch and show him exactly how much she approved of his career choice.


	5. The First 72

This is for my wonderful wife, Stamos – erm, **egyouppt**.

Thanks to **tjcrowfoot** for listening to my insane rambling about this chapter.

.**xo**.

It had been a long first shift. Ralph had said it was one of the roughest he'd seen in a while and that was saying something.

Finn's first shift was a 72. Which meant he worked and lived in Brooklyn for three days straight. Neither he nor Rachel liked the idea of the separation but he constantly reminded her he was just over the bridge, he would be safe, and she should feel free to go stay with one of her girlfriends from school who lived at home with her parents and giant guard dog.

Rachel almost did. But she couldn't shake the feeling that she needed to be home when he got home and when she and Moira hung out time seemed to run away from them.

(Moira was a theater major, too, and almost as dedicated and determined as Rachel was. Almost.)

He trudged through the door at five thirty Tuesday evening, his limbs heavy and the slight burn on his left wrist throbbing. He dropped his bag off to the side and shuffled slowly through the apartment, his weary voice calling out, "Babe? I'm home."

Rachel walked out of the kitchen in one of her little skirts, a dark blue long-sleeved t-shirt and a Kiss the Cook apron.

Who was he to disobey a written command?

He smiled slightly and pressed a quick kiss to her lips. "Smells delicious."

"Thank you," she smiled. "I'm making two kinds of lasagna. Vegan for me and meat-lovers for you. Sound good?"

Of course it did. He loved so much that she was able to set aside her feelings on meat and dairy to make different kinds of meals. She never ate them, of course, but she was willing to give him the foods that she swore would give him "energy and strength".

Whatever. Meat.

She wrapped her arms around him and gave a tight squeeze – he didn't cry out like he wanted to but sucked in a quick breath. He frowned when she released him immediately.

"Finn?" she asked in concern, stepping back. "What happened? Are you hurt?"

He smiled slightly as her eyes rapidly scanned his body for injuries.

"It's not that bad. Just a little sore. The first few calls were pretty brutal."

"Tell me?" she asked softly as she led him into the small kitchen and sat him down on a stool by the island.

"I'm not sure you wanna hear about it, babe," Finn replied in a similar voice as she placed a glass of milk in front of him. "It was kinda … intense."

"I think if this is going to be the rest of your life that I want to be a part of it. I can't help you if I don't know what's going on," she told him as she pulled the veggies out of the fridge to make a salad. "So if you feel comfortable enough telling me then please do."

Finn sighed heavily and ran his open palm over the top of his head before taking a sip of the milk – _Hey, she put strawberry in it! Awesome!_ – and then watching his girlfriend's back as she rinsed the lettuce in the sink.

"The first call wasn't so bad," he started. "Brush fire by the bridge. Long ride because the local company was tied up in a bigger blaze. We put it out, caught the kids that did it. No injuries. Could have done with a fire extinguisher, I bet, but the kids were high and freaked out. For some reason they thought it would be cool to light their textbooks on fire in protest. I'm pretty sure Sammy arrested them," he finished with a shrug.

"That doesn't sound too bad," she said with a small grin as she looked over her shoulder at him. That was on Sunday?"

"Yeah. We had another call that night. Late. Car fire on the BQE right under Lee Ave. It was bad …"

.o.O.o.O.o.

_Finn was just settling down for the night – at least he was hoping to sleep – when the alarm went off again. He jumped from bed, Houser startling awake with a snort and a curse from across the room, and pulled on his pants and threw his shirt over his head in a rush. Bolting from the barracks, the grabbed the pole and slid down, his mind still asleep enough to think "Wheeeee!" as he descended. He was really glad he didn't say it out loud._

_He grabbed his gear and threw it on before jumping into his seat. Rookies weren't allowed to ride on the back. He was a little happy about that – he was afraid he would fall off or something. And that would be embarrassing._

"Engine 216, there's a vehicle fire on the Brooklyn Queens Expressway under the Lee Avenue overpass. Multicar accident. One vehicle confirmed on fire, a second vehicle emitting heavy smoke. Please respond," the dispatch officer sounded through the station.

_Hector, the senior driver, pulled on his jacket and jumped into the cab, quickly grabbing the radio. "Dispatch, this is 216. Pulling out of the station and en route. Over," he said before revving the engine. "Hold onto your dicks, gentlemen! Rook! Hold onto Coop's collar! We're goin' full speed."_

"_Yes, sir," Finn responded as he wrapped his hand around the red collar of the station's Dalmatian, Cooper, who gave him a baleful look. "Just following orders, buddy. You know that." Cooper huffed and turned his head away._

_Sometimes this dog reminded him so much of Rachel it wasn't funny. But he knew to never ever tell her that. He figured she would probably take it as some kind of insult._

_The engine sped through the streets, slowing only at red lights. They had to take a longer route – Penn to Wyeth to Williamsburg – but the residents of Brooklyn seemed to be almost helpful today and only one or two people flipped them the bird as the engine went screaming by._

_When they got there Finn's stomach rolled. One car was completely in flames and there was a police officer there holding a screaming, crying woman back._

_He knew there was either a husband or child in that car._

_He was given orders to hook the hose up and did as he was told. He raced back to the captain to ask what his next step would be._

_His hands literally shook when the captain told him to go help the officer with the woman in an attempt to assess what was going on._

_He watched Alex and Mike rush to the smoking car with a hose and an extinguisher, not sure which would be the appropriate method of eliminating the threat of another fire, and he watched Frank, Ellis and Wilson move to the burning car with the hose poised for action. Sarah and Max, the EMTs, were getting their equipment together so they could head over and check out the screaming woman._

"_Ma'am, I need you to calm down," he said as gently as he could when he arrived next to her, placing a hand on her struggling shoulder. _

"_My daughter!" she cried, turning from the officer and gripping the front of Finn's jacket. "My daughter, Rochelle. She's stuck in the car. I was … I was …"_

"_She was tossed from the vehicle when the other car made impact," the police officer – Danny O'Callahan – said softly. "Greg and I were over there," he said as he pointed over to a brushy area where the PD liked to park and radar people. "She has some ligature marks which means she had her seatbelt on but it must have broken. I got back over to her before she could jump back in the car. It lit up almost as soon as the vehicles collided."_

_Finn had to fight to keep his face void of emotion. There was a little girl in that car and the flames were huge._

_He was disgusted with himself for being glad he couldn't hear screaming._

"_How long has the fire been burning?" Finn asked softly as the woman buried her tear-streaked face into his chest._

"_About ten minutes," Danny replied._

_That little girl was dead. He knew it, Danny knew it, and worst of all, he knew this woman knew it. He knew she had left the house today with a daughter and would be going home with the complete anguish of knowing that her little girl would never get into the car with her again._

_He suddenly had the intense urge to call his mother and tell her he loved her and he was being safe._

_When the fires were out they had four injured – the mother, the driver of the smoking vehicle, and a driver and passenger from a third effected car – and one dead._

_Dead._

_It was only his first day and he'd already failed._

.o.O.o.O.o.

"Oh my gosh," Rachel whispered as she moved from the cutting board, where the carrots lay abandoned after Finn had gotten into his story, to wrap her arms around him and pull his pale face to her chest. "I am so sorry, babe. I had a feeling it was your company that had responded to that."

"Her funeral is on Friday at two. I'd like to go," he whispered, his head tilting up so his eyes could meet Rachel's.

"Of course," she responded as she slid her fingers through her hair. "I only have an eight a.m. We can be there for the service. She was seven?"

"Yeah," Finn responded. "Single mom. Only child. It's got to be tough," he added as he wrapped his long arms around her waist. "I just …"

She pressed a kiss to the top of his head before disentangling herself from him. She moved to the wall and pulled the phone from its cradle, a sad smile on her face. "Call your mom while I finish up dinner. You can tell me the rest when you get off the phone."

"I love you," he told her seriously before dialing home to Lima and leaving to room.

As soon as he was gone, Rachel wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and went back to work on the salad. She'd read in the paper on Monday morning about the accident in Brooklyn and instinctively knew that it was in Finn's area. She read about the little girl and all she could think of was her sweet, caring Finn having to tell someone that they would never hold their child again.

Her heart broke for him.

She wished there was something she could do for him but right now, dinner and time to speak with his mother were all she was able to give him.

Thirty minutes later, Rachel had placed the plates and utensils on the island, salad already in bowls, and was pouring them both a glass of wine when he reentered the kitchen.

"How's everyone at home?" she asked with a slight smile as she moved the bottle back over to the counter.

"Good," he exhaled tiredly. "Kurt's flying them out for some kind of political rally he's decided to help coordinate. Mom's excited about seeing the Golden Gate Bridge and Burt wants to go to Albatross."

"Alcatraz," she corrected with a grin as she planted a kiss on his forehead. "How much do you want?"

"Are we talking food or …?" he trailed off, a wicked grin crossing his face as he pulled her closer by one of her belt loops.

"Yes," she said with a giggle as she flitted back and away from him. "First we eat and you keep telling me about your first shift and _then_ we go to bed."

"You know we're not sleeping tonight, right? I mean, this is the longest we've been apart since high school. I think you're going to need to get used to having sex every night that we're under the same roof," he told her seriously. "Because I miss you like crazy, baby."

"I miss you too," she assured him as she heaped a mound of lasagna on his plate and then went back to add a more reasonable amount of vegan lasagna to her own. "Now keep talking."

"Well, it was pretty subdued – right?" at her nod, he continued, "when we got back to the station. The guys with kids seemed to be takin' it real hard and Sarah just shut herself in the bathroom for, like, an hour. It was quite for the rest of the night but, you know, I didn't really fall asleep until about three a.m. All I could think about was that mom."

"Understandable," Rachel said as she forked some salad.

"Anyway, so I got up at eight because I'm the kitchen bi – uh, I was on kitchen duty so I had to make breakfast. So, you know, I made pancakes and sausage and stuff. It was pretty slow all day Monday. We had a couple of the local cops come over for a five on five game in the afternoon though."

.o.O.o.O.o.

"_Who's the giant?" Evan Lindstrom from the NYPS over on Williamsburg asked as he looked over to Finn._

"_Hudson," Hector said with a grin. "Our rookie. You played ball in high school, right, kid?"_

"_Yeah," Finn responded with a smile and a shrug. "We were pretty bad and everything but I don't completely suck. I was the captain."_

"_Of a losing team?" Danny said with a grin as he shook hands with Finn. "I'm real scared."_

"_I bet he could put his hand against your forehead and you wouldn't be able to reach him," Mike responded with a chuckle. "Now, five on five or what?"_

"_Ladies first," Finn added as he chucked the ball over to Danny._

"_I'm gonna kick your ass," the shorter man responded._

"_With what? You bankin' on the luck o' the Irish, Ginger?" Hector laughed._

"_Oh, it's on!"_

_The afternoon passed quickly, the two groups playing a few games before Finn had to go inside to cook._

"_Put on the sexy apron, Kitchen Bitch!" Alex called to his retreating back._

_Finn didn't bother to turn around, just tossed the middle finger over his shoulder before disappearing into the station._

_A call came in later that night but, again, it was only a minor fire and 216 took care of it quickly. Finn watched the gauges on this one and knew that meant the next one he would be able to handle a hose or take some kind of more active role. He couldn't wait_

_When the time came at one p.m. on Tuesday, Finn wished he had been a hose man on the last call._

_One of the warehouses at the docks was burning and all available units were called in._

_Finn had a feeling he would have been going in even if it wasn't his turn._

_The entire warehouse was engulfed in flames when they got there. Their truck was the third on scene and the other companies were already gearing up to go in._

_Captain Best called him over and told him to get his O2 ready, he was going in with Alex and Mike to make sure the building was clear. He would never admit it out loud, but the idea of walking into a burning building still kinda scared the shit out of him._

_But he geared up and followed the correct procedure to get in and start checking._

_The building was clear, thank goodness. He was positive he wouldn't be able to handle another fire death in his first seventy two hours._

_They were almost to the door when he hears a crack and then a flaming beam was swinging at him. He jumped out of the way, pulling Alex with him, but his arm was grazed. It didn't register at first, but apparently there was a tiny sliver of skin exposed at his wrist._

_Of course that's where the flame hit._

_He felt like an idiot for having to go over to the EMTs and have them put ointment and a wrap on it before he could grab a hose and get back to work._

_Needless to say he got an earful when they got back to the station._

_And he would be on gauge duty for his next shift._

_Fuck._

_But that was the last call they had before he was able to slip back into his FDNY t-shirt and head home to Rachel._

.o.O.o.O.o.

Rachel immediately reached for his wrist. "So you had the EMTs look at it and you don't need to go to the hospital, right?"

"I'm fine," he smiled, his hand curving so he could hold hers. "It's nothing. Ralph said he'd done something similar when he was a rookie. It's not fatal or anything," he added. "I promise I'm okay."

"Okay," she agreed slowly. "But if it hurts too bad tomorrow I want you to go over to the clinic."

"Yes, ma'am," he responded before he leaned across the island to give her a kiss.

"So, any more stories you want to tell me about your first shift as an official member of the New York City Fire Department?" she asked with a smile as she took a bite of her lasagna.

"No," he said with a smile. "Most of everything else was just guy stuff. And, you know, Sarah."

"I don't know how she puts up with you men," Rachel giggled.

"Sometimes I don't either," he told her. "But she's been there for a few years and knows most of the guys really well. Doesn't hurt that her husband's a cop of at the Williamsburg Ave station," he added with a chuckle.

Rachel smiled at him, glad he seemed to be coming out of his funk after talking to her about what had happened. She had a feeling it would be happening a lot in her future.

His fingers skimmed over her wrist as he smiled winningly at her, simply glad to be back in her presence again. "So, tell me about your last three days. I wanna know everything."

"Well," she smiled brightly. "On Sunday after you left I called up Kurt and we watched an _America's Next Top Model_ marathon together on Skype …"

All Finn could do with smile as his girl went into detail about everything that had happened while he was away.

He knew it would take a while to get used to his schedule and being away from Rachel but he also knew he was doing the right thing with his life. Not everything had clicked completely into place yet, but he knew it would sooner or later.

He knew that high school glee club was only the beginning of what was going to be an amazing life with this amazing girl who had somehow found something in him that she thought was worth loving him for.

He seriously considered writing Mr. Schue a letter and thanking him for finding the pot in his locker that day because if he hadn't, none of this would have happened.


	6. Unexpected Visitor

For my fildos, who demanded smut. Hope it's as good for you as it was for them. ;)

.**xo**.

She had no idea what possessed her to do what she was about to do. Sure, she was home and bored. Classes were out for the summer and she didn't start her theater project with The New School for a week.

And Finn had been away for seventy two hours and there were still twenty four more left. But her fathers were coming in that night for a three day stay. And then Finn would be back at the firehouse for another seventy two hours.

She could not last another week without at least kissing him.

(Though she knew if the opportunity arose, a heck of a lot more than kissing would be happening. Some of the texts that he'd sent her were downright nasty. She figured even _Noah_ would blush at them.

And damn if she didn't want him to do each and every thing he'd written about.)

So her … arousal … and her need to see her fiancé were the main reasons she found herself getting out of a cab at Engine 216, high heels on her feet, a tan overcoat buttoned and tied, hanging to mid thigh, sunglasses over her eyes, hair _artfully tousled_ (as Kurt would say), and little else.

(She wasn't sure the skimpy lingerie that Tina had gotten her as an engagement gift counted as clothing, to be honest. Sure didn't _feel_ like anything.)

She took a deep breath and paid the very nice cab driver before straightening her posture and walking into the firehouse like she belonged there.

So, of course, the first person she saw when she walked inside was Ralph. Sweet, old, Finn's-mentor Ralph.

And she looked like a hooker.

"Afternoon, Rachel," Ralph said with a grin on his face. "What brings you by today?"

"Hello, Ralph," she smiled, albeit a little uncomfortably, as she removed her sunglasses. "I didn't have anything scheduled and thought I might drop in to see how Finn's doing. Of course, if there's a fire I'll stay out of the way," she assured him.

(She couldn't think about the fire building within herself as she thought of Finn in his FDNY-sanctioned polo and khakis. There was something about that man …)

"He's up in the lounge studying," Ralph grinned. "He's nervous about the EMT exam. Though he said he wasn't sure he would take the gig if he passed it."

"Finn loves being a fireman," Rachel replied. "He just wants to keep his options open. Though I have no doubt he'd only take the EMT job if there was an opening here."

Ralph nodded and as he was going to reply, the phone rang. "You know where it is," he said with a smile. "Nice to see you, Rachel."

"You too," she replied before turning and heading for the stairs.

She only hoped she would be able to climb them successfully in these shoes.

* * *

Finn was bored out of his mind. He'd been studying this EMT stuff for what seemed like hours, incredibly nervous about his certification test.

Not that he was sure he wanted to be certified. It was just that being an EMT was safer than being a firefighter on most days. And he and Rachel had discussed having a family – a big family. And, to him, at least, that meant starting right after the wedding.

(He tried to convince her to start trying _before _the wedding but she refused to allow the possibility of her being pregnant on their wedding day. _What would everyone think_, she'd hissed out. _I'll tell you what. They'd think you were only marrying me because I got knocked up, that's what!_ He didn't have the energy to argue that they'd been together, more or less, since she was 16.)

He heard a knock on the door and looked up to his the object of his distraction (read: daydream) standing in front of him in what looked to be only a jacket.

In June.

In New York.

He had a feeling his day was about to get a lot better.

"Hey, babe," he smiled as he shut his book and stood up. "What brings you by?"

"Nothing," she said coyly, twirling the ends of her hair slightly around her index finger and pulling her bottom lip between her teeth. "I was just in the neighborhood."

"Right," he smirked as he moved to stand in front of her. "You just happened to be on this side of the bridge?"

She shrugged, the smile never leaving her face. "Perhaps I made a special stop to see you," she admitted.

He bent his head down to press a soft kiss to her lips, his hands moving to smooth over her hips. "I've missed you."

"Me too," she whispered, her head tilting down slightly but her dark eyes staying focused on his.

Finn knew that look. He knew that look well.

He _loved_ that look.

A smirk tugged at one corner of his lips as his hands rubbed over her hips a few times before one reached behind her to lock the door.

"Hi," he breathed as his lips attached to the juncture of her neck and shoulder, his hands quickly moving to untie the belt around her waist.

"Hi," she moaned in response, her head tilting back to give him more room, her nails scratching over his shoulders.

His (shaking) hands moved to undo the buttons of her coat, lips and tongue still laving at the same spot (she would be mad later when she saw the love bite but he couldn't bring himself to care). Once it was opened, his hands immediately moved to her stomach and slid along her sides. His brow furrowed slightly and he dragged his lips away from her skin to look at the _outfit_ she had on.

It was purple and sheer and netted and, "Holy fuck, baby," he ground out, his hips involuntarily thrusting towards her. "That's so fucking hot."

She didn't even bother chastising him for his language. "Tina bought it for me for our engagement."

"I'll send her flowers later," he huffed, hands moving up to push the jacket off her shoulders, leaving her standing in front of him in just the little purple nighty thing and the hottest pair of fuck me heels he'd ever seen.

And fuck her he would.

He knew there were times when they both wanted it to be slow, romantic, tender.

But the look on her face and the clothes on her body all but screamed, "Fuck me hard, fast, against every available surface right this minute."

He swore back in high school he would never deny her something she wanted that he was able to provide.

So despite being at work, the threat of the fire alarm looming in the back of his mind, he decided right then and there that he would fuck her so good she wouldn't be able to sit comfortable in the cab on the way home.

And he knew she would love every second of it.

"God, baby, you look so fucking hot in that," his whispered, his hands gripping her hips tightly and his mouth moving to pull her nipple into his mouth through the sheer lingerie. His hands moved up slowly, tucking into the straps of the babydoll and trying to pull it down.

It wouldn't move so he tried again.

Still nothing.

What. The. Fuck.

"Rach?" he asked breathlessly as her fingers gripped his hair. "I can't get this fucking thing off."

"It's a halter," she told him before quickly reaching up and pulling the strap over her neck.

"Fucking hate those," he muttered before pulling the nighty down over her breasts and, while he was at it, he figured he might as well push it all the way off.

And while he was at that, he might as well lift her up and press her against the door.

"Finn," she moaned breathlessly. "Your shirt. Take it off. Please," she practically begged.

"Busy," he mumbled as his head bent to pull her nipple into his mouth once more.

She gripped at his hair, pulling him away from her body, before quickly reaching down and tugging at his shirt. She ignored his impatient sigh as she tightened her legs around his waist and levered her weight against the door in order to pull his polo up and over his head. "Much better," she replied with a wicked smirk before tugging at the nape of his neck so their lips could meet in a heated, open-mouthed kiss. Her fingers slid over his shoulders and dug into his back. She arched her hips into his as their tongues dueled.

Not that she didn't love making out with him; she did. She loved everything they did together.

But if he didn't fuck her right now there would be hell to pay.

"Now, Finn, please," she asked, her nails digging into his shoulder blades.

"Already?" he asked with a devious smirk. "I've barely touched you."

"I conjured up enough images in my head on the way over, babe. I was ready before you even got my jacket off," she responded testily. "So if you don't mind, please let's just fuck."

"Fuck," he groaned out, his head falling against her bare breast. "Do you even know how hot it is when you say shit like that?" he asked. "Because let me tell you, baby, 's fuckin' _hot_." He slowly crept his hand down between the juncture of her thighs. He knew he shouldn't be surprised at the heat or wetness but he sort of was. Not that is usually took Rachel a long time to get all worked up but he had barely done anything to her and he was sure he would be able to slip into her tight body with no resistance at all.

He bit back another groan, wondering exactly when he turned into that sixteen year old boy who couldn't control his body.

Fuck. That.

"How much do you like these … panties?" Finn asked her as he toyed with the super thin strings that connected the front to the back.

"Finn Hudson," she said seriously, her fingers gripping the back of his neck. "Don't you dare do what I think you're going to do. These were a gift."

"Yeah," he breathed out before swooping in and pressing his lips to hers. He slowly ran his tongue over the seam of her lips and when she opened, his thrust his tongue inside. As soon as she was sufficiently distracted, he wrapped his fingers under the strings and _pulled_.

Yeah. He totally fucking just ripped her panties off.

He was the _king_.

"Finn!" she hissed as she pulled back slightly, but that was as far as her lecture got because he reattached his lips to hers and moved his longer fingers down into her slick folds.

"Hmm?" he murmured as his lips left hers to wander down her neck to her collar bone.

"What?" she asked dazedly, her hips bucking against his soft but sure fingers.

"'s what I thought," he muttered to himself. He slowly brought his lips back to hers, completely prepared to slow it down to give his body a chance to reign itself in.

Rachel, however, had other plans.

She skirted her fingers down his bare chest, circling his nipples once, twice, three times, before scratching her nails over them and smiling in satisfaction and his hips bucked against hers. She didn't think it was fair that she was completely naked (and now without any panties to wear home) and he still had his bottom half covered.

Not for long, though.

She quickly unbuckled his belt and button and slid his zipper down before he was even aware her fingers had moved from his chest. She shoved at the offending garments hurriedly. "Finn, now. Please."

His lips attached themselves to hers again, his tongue pressing into her mouth with no hesitation. She returned the gesture, their tongues meeting hotly and wetly, fingers grasping at whatever bit of skin they could.

"Condom," she breathed out, her hips thrusting against his, not caring that his zipper was still high enough to scratch at her thighs.

"Fuck!" he pulled back, eyes wide. "Baby, I don't have any with me. I don't bring them to work. Fuck," he repeated, one hand moving up to run over his hair.

"Finn," she said with a slight smile. "Jacket pocket."

He stared at her for a minute as if she were the most brilliant person on the planet. "I love you so fucking much," he told her before pressing a quick kiss to her lips and letting her legs fall to the floor.

He reached down and scooped up the jacket, pulling a condom out of the pocket as he did so.

When she made to walk by him, he reached out and grabbed her wrist, a smirk crossing his face and an eyebrow arching up. "Where do you think you're going?"

"Couch," she replied confusedly.

He shoved his pants and boxer shorts to the floor before wrapping his arms around her and lifting her to press against the door once more. "Door," was all he said before he reached down to pull her thighs around his waist.

Once he was satisfied that she was balanced and secure, he reached down to pump himself a few times before hastily sliding on the condom.

This was usually the point where he slowed it down. Maybe he kissed her a little more, caressed her breasts, went down on her (that was his favorite). But this time? Hell no.

There was one thing, however, that he always did, no matter what. Fast or slow, quickly or long, planned out romantic evening. "I love you, Rachel," he whispered before guiding himself into her heat.

"I love you, too," she moaned out, her body stretching, as always, to accommodate him.

He thrust slowly, a few times, before picking up the rhythm. She felt his breathing increase and decided (again) that she loved the sound of him panting and unable to control the sounds that came out of his mouth.

She wanted fast and hard and he wasn't getting there as quickly as she wanted so she did the one thing that always made him lose control. She ghosted her fingertips behind his left ear as she brought her lips just below his adams apple and sucked hard.

He groaned so loud she was sure their neighbors in Manhattan could hear him.

And then it happened. His hands moved to grip her hips in a manner she knew would leave bruises for days to come and his hips started snapping roughly against her own. Knowing that she wasn't far off, she did the one thing guaranteed to cause release: she glanced down between their bodies to see him sliding in and out of her.

She let out a guttural moan of her own, her eyes slamming shut and her fingernails digging into the back of his neck. She chanted his name in a whisper, her head falling back to knock against the heavy wood of the door. His lips moved to her neck, nipping and biting and sucking, his tongue occasionally peaking out to lave at a particularly sensitive spot.

There was nothing in the world that could keep her from her release at that moment. It hit her like a freight train (so unlike the usual slow burn that they usually worked themselves up to) and she literally bit down on his neck to keep herself from crying out too loudly.

The sight of her coming undone in his arms almost sent him over the edge.

_Almost_.

With grace he didn't know he had (and which she would probably say he didn't have), he fit his hands under her rear and shifted all of her weight onto him. Not only did it change the angle (hell yeah), but it sent another shutter through her body, which caused her to tighten around him (_fuck_ yeah).

He was pretty sure he had maybe thirty seconds left before he blew his load.

With that in mind, he shifted so she was being supported by his left arm holding her to his chest and swept his right arm across the desk, sending his books, notebook and pencil crashing to the floor.

(He'd always wanted to do that.)

She heard the crash and looked over her shoulder to see the clear desk and his work on the floor. Any other time she would have lectured him on respecting his work. But right now? "God, Finn, that was so sexy," she breathed out, hips pushing against his slightly.

He let out a breathy chuckle and unceremoniously dropped her onto the edge of the desk. Cocking his head slightly to the side, he determined that the desk was the _perfect height_. His smirk thickened as he slowly unwound her arms from his neck and placed them behind her on the desk. "Brace yourself," he whispered thickly.

She gulped (he loved it) and wiggled slightly to find the optimum traction. She nodded slightly and leaned back, her breasts jutting into the air.

So, naturally, he leaned forward to pull a nipple into his mouth as his hips started thrusting in earnest. He wished he could continue to do both (because he loved doing both) but his thrusts were to sharp and he was afraid he'd accidentally bite her too hard. (It happened once before.)

Knowing he wouldn't last much longer, he moved his left hand to brace against the desk behind the small of her back and brought his right hand to where their bodies were meeting. He heard her gasp and groan and let out this sexy little squeak. He loved the sounds she made when he was fucking her.

As soon as his hips lost their steady rhythm, simply bucking without control, he pressed his thumb to her clit and moved it in tiny, tight circles.

She cried out and spasmed around him and he could no longer control himself. He groaned her name (loudly) and emptied himself into the condom, his hips bucking and twitching for a long moment before he finally fell still.

Slowly, he moved his hands up her back to cradle her to his body, both of them slick with sweat and shaking from the adrenaline and endorphins.

She rested her head against his shoulder, eyes shut, breath still coming out rapidly, and he rested her cheek against the top of her head, heart pounding.

"Wow," he whispered. "That was …"

"Intense," she supplied, her voice a lazy drawl.

"Mmmm," he hummed.

They sat there like that for a few moments to allow their heart rates to return to normal, before he slowly pulled out to dispose of the condom.

She smiled drowsily as he pulled his boxers and pants back up and grabbed her lingerie and brought it back to her, tenderly slipping it over her head and lifting her to pull it under her rear. "Sorry about the panties," he said softly as he pressed his lips to hers.

"It's okay," she responded in the same tone. "It's not like I was going anywhere but right back to the apartment anyway."

"Mmmm," he hummed against before pressing another kiss to her lips.

They stayed like that for a while, just kissing and slowly running their hands over each other's bodies before she disengaged with a rueful smile. "I should probably get going. You need to study and we both know that alarm is bound to go off at any minute."

"You're probably right," he admits with a slight pout, his eyes wandering over to the couch he had hoped to include in their lovemaking. "Doesn't mean I have to like it."

"I don't like it either," she responded with a smile.

"So, you know we're totally doing this again, right? I mean, it was _hot_ when all you had on was that lacy thing under the jacket and those fuck me heels …"

"Finn! Language," she scolded.

"Don't even try it, Berry," he said with a grin as he helped her from the desk.

And then he realized something: she was still wearing the shoes.

His eyes widened and he smiled hopefully but she quickly shook her head and stepped out of his embrace. "Nice try, Romeo. But I really have to go." She picked up her jacket and pulled it on, buttoning it quickly and cinching the knot tightly at her waist.

(Truth be told, she wanted nothing more than to let him pull her clothes from her body again, bend her over the back of the couch and have his way with her. But she needed to get home before her fathers got there. That would be way too awkward.)

"I'll see you tomorrow," she said with a grin before plucking his shirt from the floor and handing it to him. "I love you."

"Love you too," he grumbled with a pout. "Now get out of here before I decide I don't care if there are dishes on the drain board when your fathers get here."

"I'll bring them by in the morning so they can see the station," she replied with a smile before running her fingers through her hair and pulling the door open.

He heard her saying goodbye to the guys on her way out, voice steady and calm, as if they hadn't just fucked each other's brains out in the lounge.

He watched her through the window as she hailed a cab and climbed in. When he turned around, Ralph, Frank, Hector and Ellis were standing in the doorway.

Then Ellis started a slow clap. Then Frank and Hector joined in. Ralph tried not to smile as he did the same.

It slowly but surely progressed in raucous applause and shouts of "Rachel!"

"Fuck off," he muttered as he turned back to gather his study materials.

"Forget about the books, Kitchen Bitch. I need a cigarette and some chocolate. Go bake me some brownies," Ellis said with a wide grin.

"Fuckin' …" Finn muttered to himself but did as he was told.

He tried to ignore the fact that he'd been hard again since he noticed that she wore her heels the whole time.

The next week was going to suck balls. Big time.


	7. The Wedding

Finn was nervous. He shouldn't have been; he knew that. He had been waiting for nearly a year to actually get to this day. Well, okay, so it was only six months but it _seemed_ like forever.

She had been stressing out and trying to plan a wedding and taking classes plus extra training and she _nearly_ took him to City Hall and just grabbed a judge. _Nearly_. But he'd told her should would regret it and she's grudgingly agreed, but continued to threaten City Hall whenever she got off the phone with their cross-country wedding planner.

Some days he wanted to kill his brother.

"Finn?" he heard a voice call from behind him.

He turned to see his step father standing in the doorway, a proud smile on his face. "Hey, Dad," Finn smiled in response. "What's up?"

"Just happy that today's finally here. Your mother's been driving me nuts the last few weeks."

"At least you've been able to see her. As soon as Kurt got into town he moved Rach out of the apartment and into his hotel room. I haven't seen my fiancée in two weeks. _Two weeks_. And it's not like I could even go see her at school or anything because school is out." He paused. "Remind me to return the favor when he and Jack have a Commitment Ceremony."

Burt's eyes widened. "Has he said something to you about it?"

"No," Finn responded with a smile. "I'm just preparing for contingencies. I need to think of a way to get him back for stealing my girl for _two weeks_."

Burt grinned and clapped his step-son on the shoulder. "As soon as you see her, son, you'll know it was worth it."

Finn nodded with a smile and turned back to the mirror, tying his tie like a pro.

He and Rachel had discussed his attire at length and she had provided a very _passionate_ argument for him to wear his FDNY uniform.

He adjusted his tie and tugged on his cufflinks. "Rachel's afraid the pictures will look weird because I'm the only dude up there in uniform," Finn chuckled. "But when I told her I would be fine with getting a tux because I know I'll need it for opening nights in the future, she was pretty fast to say that she didn't mind so much."

"You know Kurt and Puck would have been okay with you asking the guys in the department to stand with you. Kurt said he probably would have preferred it because he shared Rachel's fear of photo symmetry or something," Burt responded with a light chuckle.

"Rachel felt bad about not including Reggie and Sarah but she's so close to Tina and Kenz …"

"You're rambling," Burt smiled. "Do you need to sing a song or something?"

"Shut up," Finn chuckled as he bumped shoulders with Burt.

A second later, Makenzy, Puck's wife, flitted into the room, their three year old, Benjamin, in tow.

"Finn, I love your almost-wife but if she doesn't take a d-a-m-n chill pill, I will end her before she walks down the aisle," Kenz said as she moved to Finn and adjusted his tie.

Ben stood next to Burt, gazing up at him with wide brown eyes. "I can't like this."

"What's wrong, buddy?" Burt asked as he squatted down to reach the little boy's level.

"This itches," Ben complained, pulling at his collar. "Don' wanna wear it."

"Too bad," Kenz said without turning around. "If I have to wear this dress you have to wear the tux, kiddo." She turned and motioned for him to come over. When he did, she lifted him into her arms. "Make you a deal. After pictures you can change into your other pants and take off the tie. Okay?"

Ben sighed and nodded, his bottom lip jutting out. "Extra big piece of cake?"

"You won't like the cake, baby. Aunt Rachel doesn't eat real cake," Kenz chuckled.

At the little boy's pout, Finn grinned. "Don't worry, buddy. Aunt Rachel got me a groom's cake. Chocolate with white icing. And my Company's logo on it. You can have a big piece of that."

"Yay!" Ben cried before squirming out of his mother's arms. "Gotta go tell Daddy!" he yelled before running from the room.

Makenzy brought her hand to her forehead and gently massaged it. "He's way too much like his father."

"You married Puck and then decided to have kids. Not my fault," Finn shrugged. "Who's with Rachel right now?"

"Kurt had Puck stay with her so he could check on the arrivals and make sure Hiram and Leroy weren't thinking of grabbing Rach and running back to Lima. I think they're more nervous than she is."

"You don't think she'd go, do you?" Finn asked with panic in his voice and eyes.

"No," Makenzy sighed. She glanced back at Burt, who was fiddling with his tie, before turning back to Finn. "She loves you. She's being sitting in there, glancing at the clock every fifteen seconds, counting down the time until she meets you at the altar."

"Right," Finn exhaled with a smile. "Good. How much longer?"

"Fifteen minutes before you need to escort Carole in," she said, taking a seat.

"What're you doing?" he asked, his brows furrowed.

Kenz pulled up her skirt slightly and removed a flask from the garter she had on her thigh. "Whiskey. Take two swigs. You need to calm the hell down."

.x.

"Noah, I really don't need you to babysit me," Rachel said sternly as Puck took a seat on the chaise in her dressing room.

"Yeah, well, my wife and Kurt told me to stay with you and if I piss off Kurt he'll lead a gay rally to my front porch and if I piss off my wife I don't get laid. So I'm just gonna chill here. You do whatever girly shit you need to do but don't fucking cry. I'm serious about that, Berry," he said sternly as he pointed his finger at her. "You cry and we're gonna have a problem."

"Noah," she sighed as she ran her hands over her dress. "I don't feel like crying. And if I did, the tears would be happy. Because I'm finally getting to marry Finn. In Central Park. I mean, it's not the Plaza, of course, but honestly all I need are him and a rabbi."

"S'cool you're doing a Jew wedding," Puck told her. "Well, not a _real_ Jew wedding, but you have the Chuppah and the glass. Which is more than I gave my mom …"

Rachel offered him a small smile as she moved to sit on the edge of the chaise by his hip. "Noah," she smiled, her hand moving to rest on top of his, "I'm sure your mother is less concerned with the fact that you met Kenz and eloped within three months and more thrilled that you've met your match and already provided her with one beautiful grandchild."

"Kenz isn't a Jew," he pointed out needlessly.

"Neither is Finn," she shrugged in response.

Puck nodded, a grin slowly creeping across his face. "So I guess you're finally gonna give it up tonight, huh? Surrender your V-Card?"

"I'll have you know," Rachel sniffed, her hand patting his, "Finn and I started being intimate shortly after we got back together after the Unfortunate Incident, as I like to call it."

"Wait. So you fucked him right after he took you back?"

"First of all, Noah, your language is still as appalling as it was in high school. I don't know how your son isn't swearing like a sailor by now. Second, it was a mutual reconciliation. After a tortuous three month sabbatical, we both decided that we would rather be together than be apart."

"Yeah, but you went to him, didn't you?" Puck smirked. "You asked him to get back with you."

"I didn't," Rachel told him frankly as she stood and smoothed invisible wrinkles from her dress. "Actually, a member of the baseball team approached me and requested a date and before I could answer him, Finn was there telling him to back off. We then had a very satisfying conversation about our hopes and desires for reconciliation and that was it. We had gotten back together and were both very happy."

"And then you let him fuck you."

"Language, Noah!" Rachel snapped just before Ben came bounding into the room.

"Daddy!" the little boy squealed before launching himself into his father's arms. "Momma said I could put on my crappies after pictures!"

"Khakis, kid. And I think you need to ask Aunt Rachel about that."

Ben turned and looked at Rachel, his eyes widening and his mouth dropping open. "You look real pretty," he whispered, a blush creeping up his cheeks.

"Thank you, Ben," she smiled. When he started fidgeting with his bowtie, she gently removed his fingers and crouched down to adjust it. "I know that's probably uncomfortable but it's just for a little bit more," she told him softly. "Look up at the clock. See the big hand?" He nodded. "When the big hand gets to the one, that's when the wedding starts and when it gets to the two, the pictures start. So a little bit after that is when you can change into your khaki pants and take off your tie, okay?"

"It's almost to the one now!" the little boy shouted in delight, his body vibrating with unrestrained joy.

"Yup," Puck said as he stood and scooped his son into his arms. As Kurt walked into the room with Hiram and Leroy, Puck smiled. "Tell Aunt Rachel there's still time to run."

"Noah!" Rachel cried, her foot involuntarily stomping on the floor.

"Noah!" Ben repeated, his chubby hand gripping his father's nose. "Not nice."

"Got it," Puck said in a nasally voice to make his son giggle. He turned to Rachel with a smile. "You look beautiful, B." He headed to the door, a wide smile on his face as he turned and said, "I sure hope you don't trip as you're walking down the aisle …" And with that, he was gone.

"Noah!" Rachel called after him. "Noah, that's a horrible thing to say! You'd better not have just jinxed me on my wedding day!"

"Calm down, Rachel," Kurt said as he moved her in front of the mirror. "Take a few deep breaths. This is the last time you'll look in the mirror and see Rachel Berry. Next time you'll be Rachel Berry-Hudson."

"Just Hudson," Rachel smiled, eyes moving over to her fathers' before looking back at her own reflection.

.x.

The band slowly started playing Cannon in D and Finn took a deep breath. He offered his mother a slightly nervous smile and nodded to Burt before slowly making his way up the aisle. He hoped he didn't trip, though it would totally be like him if he did.

He nodded once to a few of the guys (and Sarah and Regina) from the station and a few of his friend from NYPS, all in uniform, sitting about halfway down the aisle, big grins on their faces. He blushed, realizing they were probably still remembering that day when Rachel showed up in that little purple …

_Pull it together, Hudson! You can't be hard through your own wedding ceremony!_

When he reached the front, he kissed his mother on the cheek and shook Burt's hand before taking his place under the Chuppah, Puck and Kurt standing behind him.

He'd made the decision to make Puck his best man quite easily. Truth was, Kurt made him nervous. He knew that if his brother was right behind him, able to whisper in his ear, he would probably freak out in a really bad way and ruin the wedding that Rachel (and Kurt) had planned to the tee.

Everyone then turned to see Ben and Talia, Regina Wilson's daughter, walking up the aisle as Flower Girl and Ring Bearer. Talia, at six, took her duties very seriously. She dropped one petal with every step she took.

And she took her steps very slowly.

Finally, it seemed Ben couldn't take much more. He shifted his pillow into one hand and grabbed Talia with the other. "C'mon," he muttered. "I wanna put my crappies on."

Talia was too stunned to do anything but let herself be dragged the rest of the way down the aisle.

Puck shot his son a stern frown when he reached the front but the little boy just shrugged and gripped the pillow tighter.

Everyone turned again as Tina walked down the aisle (at just the right pace), pale pink lilies in her hands and a lone daisy clipped into her hair.

Then it was Kenz's turn and Puck started grinning. His wife looked hot as fuck in that blue dress (Thank Moses Berry went for the shorter dress, of course. His wife had killer fucking legs that he couldn't wait to feel wrapped around his waist that night. He wondered idly whether Carole and Burt would take his kid out for dinner or something. If not, there was always the coat closet at the reception hall.) and his eyebrow instantly shot up, a smirk slowly making its way across his face. He heard Kurt whisper "Down, boy" behind him and he growled back, "Can it, Tinkerbell. My wife's a fucking MILF."

"Heathen," Kurt muttered back.

Kenz shot the two of them a dirty look as she reached the front. She wondered how long she could punish Puck for. And then he shifted slightly and she arched her eyebrow. Who was she kidding? She was getting a room as soon as they got to the hotel the reception was going to be in.

The music changed and everyone stood and turned to see Rachel and her fathers stepping onto the red carpet. (Finn thought it would be the first of many times she'd lead the man (or men) in her life down a red carpet with all eyes on her.)

He didn't even know he was holding his breath until Puck leaned into him from behind and whispered in his ear, "Breath, dude. If you pass out Berry's gonna kick your ass."

Finn immediately drew in a breath before a wide, in-love smile crossed his face. He must have made a move to go meet her because he felt Puck grab on to the back of his uniform jacket.

When Rachel and her fathers reached him, he quickly shook their hands (and hoped they didn't realize how badly his hands were shaking) and then took her hand and led her to stand with him under the Chuppah. He whispered how beautiful she was and she blushed, head bowed a little.

When it came time for the vows, Finn really wished he'd brought the paper he wrote his down on. He knew Rachel would probably freak out a little if he pulled out a slip of paper and read from it, but he figured she'd probably freak more if he went into what she referred to as his stream-of-consciousness-rambling and mentioned something about Christmas lights and purple lingerie.

He took a deep breath and gripped her hands. He knew what he wanted to say to her, but he was never really the guy. The one who could make anyone understand what he was trying to say. He was never that guy and he never would be. Except today, hopefully. Because he had a lot he wanted to say and very little margin for error.

"The first time I saw you, I mean, really saw you, I had just been for … uh, I had just joined glee and we were singing that song from Grease. _You're the One That I Want_. I didn't know then just how true it was. Because you _are_ the one that I want and you have no idea how lucky I feel that I'm the one that you want too. And, you know, I didn't know _that_ day that we would end up here. It wasn't until …" he cleared his throat and glanced to his left, able to catch a little bit of his best man in his line of vision. "It wasn't until you started dating Puck that I realized I didn't want you with anyone else. And then when you started dating Jesse, I realized I only wanted you with me."

He felt her squeeze his hands tightly (but not in a bad way) and he took a deep breath and continued, "I know we had our rough patches. Seemed like junior year was designed to try and break us up. But we wouldn't let it. Not for good. Because even when we weren't together, I couldn't think of any future without you in it. So that night we got back together, that was when I knew. I knew you and I would make it. I knew I would do anything and everything in my power to stay with you. And I did. I took on my mom for you, Rach," he chuckled. "And she can be kinda scary when she's mad."

He turned to his mother and offered her a smile before turning back to the woman he was going to spend the rest of his life with. "I love you, Rachel. And I want you to know …" he cleared his throat and said quietly, but loud enough to be heard, "I'm forever yours. Faithfully."

Rachel forced out a chuckle through her tears, delicate fingers moving up to wipe them from the corner of her eyes. She sniffled once and said, "Should have known you'd make me cry," with another wet chuckle.

She had known exactly what she wanted to say. She'd written it in a journal, then on a sheet of loose leaf, then on index cards. She'd practiced day in and day out, staring at the engagement picture that ran in The Lima News, until she knew the entire speech by heart.

But everything flew out of her head as soon as he started talking. So now she was under the Chuppah without anything to say to her soon-to-be husband because he'd spoken the most wonderful vows she'd ever heard

"I don't know what I ever did to deserve a man like you, Finn Hudson," she said seriously, her eyes locked on his. "But I am thankful every day that after everything we went through back in high school that you found it in your heart to let me back in and to let me love you. And for you to let yourself love me too. When we first got together, really together, I knew that I loved you in that real, grown up kind of way. And then you said it to me first and I figured you'd think I was just saying it back. I wouldn't have been, you know. But it felt like maybe the first honest thing I'd ever said that summer when I told you for the first time.

"I didn't know then what was going to happen and, looking back, I should have. I was too happy and I think everyone here knows that when I get happy I get possessive and fearful and just … not completely pleasant to be around. So I count myself among the luckiest people in the world because not only do I know you and love you, but you know me, all of me, and love me in spite of it." She watched him mouth the words _because of it_ and smiled slightly. "So, to echo your sentiment from your beautiful vows, I love you, Finn Hudson. And I'm forever yours." Her eyes met his and she said as seriously as she could with the happy butterflies causing a ruckus in her stomach, "Faithfully."

The rest of the wedding passed in a blur. He remembered the "I do"s and the "I will"s. And he remembered breaking that freaking glass. (He had been so nervous he was going to trip that he asked Puck to keep a steady hand between his shoulder blades.) And he remembered kissing her. And when the rabbi announced them and Mr. and Mrs. Finn Hudson? He remembered feeling the most amazing pride, joy and love.

She was his wife now.

His _wife_.

Forever.

.x.

And then it was pictures and the limo ride to the reception hall. (He only got to second base but he was okay with that because he knew tonight he was going to get to peel that dress from her body inch by inch, lips following his hands.)

When they got to the reception everyone was there. They were great by friends and family after being introduced, for the first time in public as Mr. and Mrs. Finn and Rachel Hudson.

("I thought you were going with Berry-Hudson."

"Nope. Just Hudson.")

And then they had their first dance.

He had been kind of shocked that she didn't fight him on his selection. He expected her to want Barbra or something from Broadway or something Celine Dion. But when he brought up Clapton and played _Change the World_ for her, she instantly fell in love with the song and declared it to be perfect. So when Kurt called them to the dance floor with a smile, he took his wife's hand and led her to the center of the dance floor. (He was still a crappy dancer but it didn't matter. He had a feeling they would just be swaying anyway. He just wanted to hold her close to him and not let her go ever again. And he had gotten Tina to give him a few lessons as well.)

Kurt cued the band who started playing _With You I'm Born Again_.

Rachel frowned deeply and dropped her arms from around Finn's neck and shot Kurt a furious glare.

"Okay, okay," Kurt chuckled before he cued the band to _Change the World_.

The bride and groom swayed slowly together, Finn occasionally singing softly into her ear. When she sighed and the breath tickled his neck, all his nerves stood on end and he whispered hotly into her ear, "You look stunning in this dress. I can't wait to peel it off of you tonight in the hotel room. Inch. By. Inch," he continued, his breath blowing a few escaped tendrils of her hair. "And then I'm going to follow the path with my lips … over whatever hot little scrap of lingerie you have on under this dress. Then I'm going to peel _that_ off of you. Slowly. I'll kiss every bit of exposed skin. I'll make you shutter and moan without even really touching you."

"Finn," she moaned quietly, her nails digging into the back of his neck.

"And then I'll make you come," he said in a whisper. "Using just my fingers. And then my mouth. And when you think you can't take it anymore, I'll make you come again." He tugged her closed, pulling her hips to his and thrusting slightly, hands tightening on the small of her back. "And then … maybe … we can talk about taking my uniform off."

Needless to say he was pretty satisfied when he felt her knees buckle and she gripped onto him tighter.

Then it was blur time again. He and Rachel danced and sang and ate and kissed. (He really owed Ben like a hundred bucks for tapping his cup every thirty seconds so he and Rachel could kiss again.)

As soon as the cake was done, Finn grabbed Rachel and pulled her from the room, shooting a look at Kurt (since Puck and Kenz were missing for some reason) before heading straight for the elevator.

As soon as the doors closed he dug his fingers into Rachel's hair, pulling out the bun and flowers and letting her hair fall in messy waves over her shoulders. "You're so fucking beautiful," he whispered as he pressed his hips against hers and he attached his lips to the bare juncture between her shoulder and neck.

"Finn," she moaned in a whisper, her hands moving to card through his hair. "Wait until we get to the room."

"No way," he muttered, his teeth nipping at her neck. "This elevator goes straight into our room. No one is getting on and _you_, my wife, are _getting off_."

"Finn …"

"Nope. Don't try to stop me," he said with a smirk. "I'm going to have you screaming my name before we reach the top floor," he warned before lifting her up and (after a few seconds of struggling to get his hand under her dress) skirting his long fingers up her thigh. "I bet you're _soaked_, aren't you? You talk big game about waiting but you want me to do this just as much as I do."

"Finn," she moaned again as her head fell back against the wall of the elevator. When she felt the tips of his fingers skirt along the juncture of her thigh, she let out a loud groan. "Please?"

"'S what I thought," he said thickly as his fingers met her bare sex. And then it was his turn to groan loudly. "God, Rachel," his ground out. "I bet I could slip into you right now without any kind of resistance. You're so fucking wet. I can't believe you're not wearing any panties. How the hell …"

"Too them off in the bathroom," she groaned, shifting slightly so the tip of his index finger hit her clit. "Please, Finn. I need …"

"God I wanna taste to so bad right now," he blurted out.

She was saved, literally, by the bell. She almost gave in and had quick, probably dirty, sex in the elevator with her new husband.

Finn growled, clearly disappointed, before whipping her around and marching into the room. His eyes surveyed the lavish suite and he had a hard time focusing on where he wanted to take her first.

_Bed_, his mind told him. _Then floor, probably, and dresser, couch, shower, balcony. You have all night, Romeo._

Well, that was that. So he moved towards the bed and placed her on her feet in front of it. He smiled and kissed her sweetly, a breathless "I love you" slipping out before he spun her slowly. His fingers shook, the adrenaline slowly seeping from his body, as he reached for the zipper on the back of her dress. Slowly and with great care, he started pulling the zipper down, his lips pressing against each new patch of bare skin that he exposed.

He smiled with satisfaction as he felt the shudder wrack her body.

Once the dress hit the floor, he slowly slide his hands to her front, linking them on her stomach and pulling her bare form back against his completely clothed body. "I love you, Rachel. So much."

"I love you too," she whispered in response.

He gently lifted her into his arms and laid her on the bed before picking up her dress and laying it over a chair. (Yeah, he was the fucking _king_ of stamina right now.)

He slowly moved back to her and crawled on top of her slightly shaking form. "You okay?" he asked softly.

She nodded. "I just need you so bad," she told him honestly.

"Forever," he whispered before pressing a kiss to her lips. Then his lips wandered to her cheeks, her neck her collarbone. He slowly dragged one hand up her body to cup a breast as his lips descended on her other nipple.

He had been nervous, at first, that he would stop being interested in her boobs as soon as he granted her access to them. Wrong. He loved them just as much as he did the day Burt was admitted into the hospital. (_Stop thinking about that, stupid, or you're gonna lose your boner_.)

So he spent time with his favorite twins (Heh.) every time he made love with Rachel.

And she loved it.

She arched her hips, ran her fingers through his hair, moaned his name. He was super happy that her boobs were such a turn on for both of them. It was one of his favorite things that they had in common.

After spending an adequate amount of time on both breasts, he slowly kissed his way down her body, pausing to dip his tongue into her bellybutton and delighting in the squeal she let out.

"Finn, please," she begged as she pressed her hands to the top of his head and pushed him down. "Please."

He smirked at her slightly before dipping his head down to lick a wide stripe up her center. When she gripped his hair and pressed him closer, he chuckled against her folds and nudge her clit with the tip of his nose.

Yeah, she screamed.

He was _so_ the man.

He slid his hands slowly over her thighs and down her calves before slipping them back under her knees and maneuvering her legs over his shoulders. He pulled her to the edge of the bed and sank to his knees, face still buried between her legs. He then slide just the tips of his fingers along the outside of her thighs and grasped her hips when they got there, pressing her to the bed so she couldn't move.

She both hated and loved it when he did that.

When he pointed his tongue and thrust it into her opening, she cried out loudly and thrust her arms out, fingers grasping the comforter tightly.

He thrust his tongue in and out of her and was shocked slightly when she reached down and pulled one of his hands from her hips. She folded all but his index and middle fingers into a fist before pulling the remaining two into her mouth.

Into. Her. Mouth.

He seriously almost came in his pants right then and there.

He definitely needed to up his game if she was going to be pulling shit like that. So with a smirk, he moved up to lightly graze his teeth over her clit, sucking it into his mouth, before he began to hum _Faithfully_ against her exposed center.

As soon as he got to "restless hearts" she was coming undone against him.

He continued to lave at her center until she reached down and grabbed him by the hair, pulling him up her body and immediately thrusting her tongue into his mouth to taste herself.

So. Fucking. Hot.

"Pants, Finn. Now. Taken them off. Please," she begged, her body still quaking from her release.

"Uh uh … that was only once. I skipped making you fall apart because of my fingers. I think I need to back up a step. Maybe start over again."

"Don't you fu- don't you dare!" she said sternly as her own fingers reached for his belt. "You're going to make love to me right this instant."

"Don't make me tie your hands to the bedpost," he told her seriously. (He secretly thought that would be the hottest thing ever.)

"Not during our first time as man and wife," she shot back. "Now due your duty as a husband and … and _consummate_ our marriage!"

He wasn't sure what that meant but he was going to go ahead and believe that she wanted him to fuck her.

He pulled off his tie and unbuttoned his shirt while she unbuckled his belt and pulled undid he button fly. This teamwork thing was pretty cool when it was put to an awesome use like sex.

He moved to shove his pants down his legs and she shoved his shirt from his shoulders. "Now," she told him demandingly.

"Anything for my wife," he whispered. Then added his traditional "I love you" before slowly inching his way inside her.

He bottomed out quickly, their bodies so accustomed to each other. He pressed his lips to hers, his tongue tracing her bottom lip then slipping inside to mingle with hers. (He loved kissing her when they were making love. It meant he got to both hear and feel her moans, groans and breathy whimpers.

Her fingernails dug into the backs of his shoulders as he slowly began to move inside her. He tried to keep a steady, slow, tortuous rhythm but his wife (he was sure he would never get tired of hearing, thinking or saying that word) apparently had other thoughts. She slid her knees up the side of his body and wrapped her legs completely around him, her ankles locking just above the small of his back, as her hips began to move with his own, meeting in the middle and slightly changing their angle.

When he hit that special spot inside of her and she cried out again, his resolve to allow their lovemaking to be slow snapped. He reached down and slid his hands under her rear and sat up onto his knees, pulling her onto his lap. He adjusted slightly so his back was resting against one of the four posts on the bed and brought his legs from under him to bend at the knee, feet flat against the comforter, and his wife on her knees in his lap, his stiff member still buried within her.

He gripped her hips tightly as he moved her up and down his shaft. He knew he would leave bruises but he didn't really care at that moment.

She reached forward to grip the pole for balance and, coincidentally, that landed her breasts right in his face. So, of course, he pulled a nipple into his mouth and sucked. Hard.

She cried out her release in a broken whimper of his name.

He thrust a few more times before he, too, came undone and released into his wife, her name and a litany of curses escape his lips in a whispered string of nonsense.

Slowly, he removed her from his lap and laid her down on the bed. He shifted and curled up beside her, pulling her head onto his chest where he was sure she could hear his rapidly beating heart.

"I love you," she whispered over and over again, her small frame still trembling from the force of her release, as she pressed light kisses to any patch of skin she could reach.

"I love you too," he told her, his voice groggy. "Mrs. Hudson," he added with a grin. His heart skipped a beat when he felt her smile against his skin and whisper "I love the sound of that."

.x.

Meanwhile …

"Damn, Wifey," Puck panted as he tried to straighten his tie and retuck his shirt. "That was fucking _hot_."

Makenzy smirked at her husband as she straightened her dress. Then she frowned when her mind caught up with her ears. She reached back and slapped the back of Puck's head. "I told you not to call me that. It makes us sound like white-fucking-trash."

"Baby, I fucked your mom, fucked you, took you to Vegas, married you and knocked you up. We _are_ fucking white trash."

"Sometimes I wonder why I married you," she told him sarcastically.

"Because I'm a fucking stallion," he said as he lewdly grabbed his package and jiggled it a bit.

She rolled her eyes. "You're so fucking lucky I love you," she told him before slipping out of the coat room.

Once the door was shut, he let a smile grace his face as he whispered, "Don't I know it, baby."

.**xo**.

This chapter is, of course, for my Fildos. Wifey, I hope you were BAMF enough. And to **tjcrowfoot**, **Amy Rochelle** and **gleekedout** for sticking with me through yet ANOTHER foray into Smutville.


	8. Reconciliation

The second her open palm connected with his cheek she regretted it. She'd only ever hit one person before and it was because she was overemotional and feeling betrayed.

But now she had hit someone else; someone unforgivable.

Someone who she knew wouldn't hesitate to hit her back.

She felt her back hit the yellow lockers behind her, eyes squeezed shut in anticipation of the hit or whatever other punishment he had planned for her.

"What's wrong, Princess?" Dave Karofsky whispered hotly into her ear. "No one here to stand up for you now, is there? All alone. Your stupid club hates you. You don't have Fairy Finn to protect you. Puckerman won't go near you." He paused to just breathe into her ear. "So I'm pretty sure you slapping me wasn't your best move. _No one_ will care if something happens to you. _No one_."

"Y-you don't scare me," Rachel stuttered back.

"Yes, I do," the large boy responded. "You're shaking. And your eyes are shut so tight you're going to be seeing stars when you finally open them."

She shoved at him weakly. Frightened and wanting nothing more than for someone – _anyone_ – to come down the hall to rescue her.

But school was over and there was a basketball game. Anyone who was at McKinley would be in the gym.

When Karofsky's hand clamped around the back of her neck and started tugging, all she could do was scream.

* * *

Mike was going to be in _so much_ trouble. Beiste was already freaking out about this game and now he had forgotten his red arm band in his locker. (He had a feeling a new rule was going to be imposed that they weren't allowed to take anything out of their gym lockers. They were on a five game win streak and Beiste was _really_ superstitious.)

He jogged quickly down the hall (he wasn't fully stretched yet so running was out of the question) towards his locker.

When he rounded the corner he saw that toolbox Karofsky leaning against a locker. He wasn't going to say anything – the guy was a loser and Mike didn't really care what the oaf did, but then his eyes wandered to the floor and he saw a pair of flats. His brow scrunched and his eyes slowly lifted to see white socks climbing up shapely calves.

And then he heard her scream.

_Rachel_.

Without even thinking, Mike dropped his shoulders and charged, hoping his angle was right so that he would tackle Karofsky but not touch the tiny girl trapped behind him.

"Mike!" Rachel screamed as she felt Karofsky being shoved off of her and saw Mike Chang tackling him to the ground. "Mike, stop. Please."

"Go get help," Mike shouted back as he wrestled with the hockey player, attempting to pin the larger boy to the ground.

"Mike …"

"Go!"

Rachel turned and ran to the hall, trying in vain to ignore the grunts and sounds of flesh hitting flesh behind her.

"Noah!" she cried when she ran into the gym and he was the first person she saw. "Noah. Help. Please. Get … get people. We need help!" she all but screamed as she grabbed onto his arms. "Please," she begged as she tugged on him. "Mike needs help."

"With what?" he asked as he allowed her to tug him away.

"He's attempting to beat up Dave Karofsky," she said as she tugged harder.

"Damnit, B," he groaned as he pulled his arm free. "You know I'm still on probation."

"Then get help!" she screamed loudly.

"What's going on?" Sam asked as he and Finn approached the other two.

"Oh thank Moses," Rachel sighed. "Mike's in trouble. He's fighting with Karofsky."

"Why?" Finn asked, eyes wandering anywhere but to his ex-girlfriend.

"Does it matter?" Sam asked as he pushed past the others and headed down the hall. "Where are they?" he called over his shoulder.

"My locker!" Rachel replied as Puck turned to follow Sam. As she made to move as well, Finn gripped her arm. "Finn, please. Please go help."

"Why are they near your locker?" he asked, his grip tight on her upper arm.

"It doesn't matter. And I know I have no right to ask …"

"Rachel," he said slowly. "Why are Mike and Karofsky fighting by your locker?"

"Finn …" she said softly, her eyes begging him not to make her answer.

But that was all the answer he needed.

Finn dropped her arm and ran, as fast as he could, towards Rachel's locker.

He was going to kill Karofsky.

* * *

By the time Rachel got to the scene, Sam and Mike were holding Finn back and Puck had Karofsky pinned against the lockers.

"Do we understand each other?" Puck asked lowly, teeth bared. "Because we stopped him from killing you this time, dickwad, but next time you touch that girl? Hudson won't be the only one wailing on you in the middle of the hallway."

"Noah!" Rachel exclaimed as she ran to where Puck was holding the large boy. "Let him go," she added as she tugged on his arm. "You'll get in trouble."

"Fuckin' worth it," he muttered but allowed her to pull him away.

Karofsky took off, shouting empty threats behind him as he jogged to the double doors leading to his freedom.

"Yeah, you'd better run!" Finn screamed as he struggled against Mike and Sam. "Let me go." When they didn't, he turned and got in Sam's face. "I said, let me go."

Rachel turned to see Finn shake off the light grips Mike and Sam still had on him. "Finn," she said softly, her hand reaching towards his split lip. "You're hurt."

She tried really hard not to flinch when he jerked himself away.

"You need to watch yourself," he said before turning his back on his friends and heading back to the gym. "Get a move on, guys," he called over his shoulder, not bothering to turn back to face them. "Beiste'll flip if we're late."

The guys all followed Finn, each offering a small smile or a comforting pat to Rachel's shoulder.

* * *

Rachel smiled at Sam as he walked up to her in the hall.

"Hello, Sam. How did the …" she trailed off as he took her books from her arms and indicated for her to start walking. "What are you doing?" she asked. He kept walking, eyes darting around the hall, cataloguing everyone they walked past. "Sam? Why do you have my books?" she asked as she chased after him, her short legs having trouble catching up with his longer ones.

"The game was okay. The guys played hard but they lost."

"Sam, seriously! What are you …?"

They stopped in front of her math class and he handed over her books. "See you later, Rachel," he said with a grin before turning in time to catch Quinn's arm through his own and head back in the same direction he and Rachel had just come from.

Rachel frowned but walked into class and took her seat, wondering exactly what had just happened.

* * *

When class was over, she was the first out the door and ran straight into Artie's wheelchair.

"Oh, Artie!" she cried. "I'm so sorry! I …"

"I'd like to talk to you …" His girlfriend cleared her throat next to him and he smiled before grabbing Rachel's books and putting them in his lap and wheeling down the hall. "_We'd_ like to talk to you about possibly helping us work on a kickass duet since we didn't get to perform during the competition."

"It's cuz I took his virginity and he was mad for a while," Brittany interjected.

"Right," Rachel smiled weakly. "What were you two thinking of doing?"

"Something we can dance to," the blonde said with a grin.

"Something Brit can dance to," Artie corrected. "But she needs to be able to sing."

"Hmmm," Rachel said with a thoughtful frown. "How about …?"

"Oh look! Your science class," Brittany said as she picked up Rachel's books and thrust them into the brunette's arms. "Bye."

Artie smiled and offered her a weak wave as Brittany pushed him down the hallway.

Rachel continued frowning as she entered her lab and took her seat.

She had no idea what was going on.

* * *

She helped Mrs. Berkman put away the beakers and when she exited the classroom, Noah was there, leaning against the lockers across from the door.

"Noah?"

"Just don't fucking ask," he grumbled as he grabbed her books and shot glares at everyone who even glanced at them.

"Tell me what's going on!" she shouted and stomped her foot. "This is ridiculous, Noah!"

"Just don't fucking worry ab - …" he trailed off as he saw Karofsky walking down the hall with Azimio and Douglas.

"Noah?"

Puck's eyes followed the triad before turning back to Rachel. "Just go to fucking class," he said fondly as he shoved her into the dance room.

"I want to know what's going on!"

"And I want a good fu – udge brownie," he stuttered out as Mrs. Pillsbury-Howell walked past. "See ya later, Berry!" he called as he headed down the hall.

Rachel huffed but quickly ran to change. Dance never seemed to last long enough for her.

* * *

The day continued on like that: someone new would meet her after class and walk with her to her next class. At lunch, Mike and Sam took her to get Subway and then ate with her in the auditorium while she complained about not understanding what was going on.

Mercedes partnered with her for badminton in Gym.

Lauren sat beside her in Home Ec, their seats in the back so the whole room was visible.

Noah showed up for History and shared her desk with her. He took notes and she felt his forehead.

Santana and Quinn flanked her in English.

Tina sat with her in Spanish and she noticed Mr. Schue was keeping a close eye on the two of them.

It seemed like the only person not involved in the weirdness was Finn.

But, then again, she didn't expect him to be. She figured he was going to stay away at all costs.

She missed him terribly.

But she swore to herself that she would let him come back to her. If he wanted her.

Their breakup was nearing a month and she couldn't help but think he didn't want her, not anymore.

So when she exited Spanish and saw him standing across the hall, her breath froze in her lungs and her heart started beating wildly.

"C'mon," he said softly as he took her books from her. "You need to get to Journalism."

"Finn?" she asked quietly, not quite understanding what was going on. "What's …" she swallowed. "What's gotten into everyone?"

"He'll never get that close to you again," was the tall boy's only response as he walked with her down the hall and towards the room that doubled as a classroom and the newspaper office.

"I don't …"

"I'll never let him get that fucking close to you again," Finn muttered, more to himself than her, before handing her books back to her. "I'll be here to get you after class."

"But, Finn …?"

"We'll talk later," he said, his lips pursed. "I have to get to the gym before Beiste hunts me down." He started down the hall then turned back to face her. "Don't leave that room until I get back," he told her seriously before taking off in a jog to get to the other side of the school before the bell rang.

Rachel was more confused than ever but she felt lighter. Finn had talked to her.

He'd said more to her in the last few minutes than he had in the last few weeks.

She considered it progress. She didn't know what they were progressing towards, but she had a feeling it would be good.

* * *

He did meet her after class and walked her to her locker. He didn't say anything, just kept his eyes open, occasionally meeting the gazes of fellow glee clubbers.

"Finn, please tell me what's going on. I feel like the only moment I've gotten to myself today was when I was in the restroom. And even then, Quinn was there! I don't understand …"

"He could have hurt you, Rachel," Finn bit out, his voice hard and angry. "If Mike hadn't forgotten his arm band …"

"This is about Karofsky?" she interrupted.

"Of course it is, Rachel," Finn said, frustrated. "What did you _think_ it was about?"

"I had no idea, Finn," she shot back. "But now that I know, I'd like to kindly request you knock it off."

"What?" he scoffed. "No."

"_No_?" she repeated, her voice rising. "Did you just tell me no?"

"I did. You're going to have to deal with the fact that we care about you."

Rachel rolled her eyes. "I could _kill_ Noah for coming up with …"

"You think _Puck_ planned this?" Finn shouted, effectively cutting off what was sure to be a long-winded and very Rachel Berry rant. "Puckerman? You think he …?"

"Who else would have?" she shot back. "Seems like Noah's the only one who really cares …"

"_Noah_ didn't come up with anything!" Finn yelled in return. "It was me. It was my idea, okay?"

"Why?" she responded loudly. "Why do you even _care_? You're mad at me!"

"I may be mad at you but that doesn't mean I'm not completely in love with you still!"  
he screamed, ignorant of all the attention they were drawing.

"Right," Rachel whispered. "I …" she cleared her throat. "I'm sorry."

"Sorry?" he asked, his anger slowly ebbing away.

"I'm clearly not giving you enough space …"

"What the hell are you talking about?" he asked as he took a step closer to her.

"If you're still in love with me after not being able to forgive me it's clearly only because I continue to put myself in your line of sight and you can't help but to think back on the good times we had. Like that day in your mom's car down by the lake. Or-or that night on the roof of your old house when we …" she trailed off. "Oh! I've done it again!" she cried as she stomped her foot. "I'm so sor-."

She was cut off when his lips met hers and her back hit the row of lockers behind her.

She used all of her strength to push him away. "What are you doing?"

"I don't want to be without you anymore. Karofsky … yesterday … it scared the _shit_ out of me, Rachel," Finn confessed. "I'm miserable. I hate not being with you. Yes, I'm mad. I'm _super_ mad. But I'm still in love with you. Please … I just … it hurts my heart to be without you."

"Finn?" she asked softly, her eyes meeting his. "What are you saying?"

He inhaled deeply and took her small hands into his larger ones. "You betrayed me, Rachel; you betrayed _us_," he told her. When her eyes cast down and she tried to tug her hands from his, he only tightened his grip and craned his neck so he could see her eyes again. "But I love you and I … I want us to move on from what happened. I just … no more cheating, okay? No flirting, definitely no kissing."

"Finn, I …"

"Let me take you out on Friday night," he said softly. "Not starting over … just staring again."

She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth and nodded slightly. "Like unpausing the CD player."

Finn nodded. "Exactly."

"What song were we listening to?" she whispered.

"_You're the One That I Want_," Finn responded in the same tone of voice.

Rachel giggled and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, bringing him down so she could bury her face in his neck.

"I love that song," she breathed onto his skin.

"I love you," he responded.

She smiled and held him tightly. "I'm forever yours, Finn." She backed up and looked into his eyes. "_Faithfully_."

"I'm going to hold you to that," he told her. "For the rest of forever."

She locked eyes with him before pulling his lips to meet hers.

They weren't perfect; not yet. It was going to take time and effort, but she knew the moment her wrapped his arms tightly around her and started singing _You're the One That I Want_ softly into her neck as he hugged her, that they were going to be fine.

Better than fine.

.**xo**.

For my Fildos, who are nothing but inspiration and good times.

And a special welcome to the newest member of our group, **iGoToExtremes**. You're in the crazy now. And we're like the Cheerios. You don't quit; you either die or we kick you out. You're in it for LIFE.

**Tjcrowfoot**, keep holdin' on, bb. Cuz we're gonna make it through. Just stay strong. Cuz you know I'm here for you. (You know you love me.)

**Egyouppt**, ILY, wifey.

**Amy Rochelle**, epic Finchel will arrive in February. (AFTER PUCKLEBERRY BWAHAHAHAHA).

**gleekedout**, ILYSFM. :)


	9. New Arrival

Rachel looked up from her phone, a deep frown on her face. "There's a big fire in the Red Hook section," she told Noah as she slowly rubber her hand over her swollen belly. "He won't be home for a while. Candace said she talked to Joe right as the alarm was going off. If we turn on the news he'll probably be on there."

Puck groaned and leaned back against the couch. "But we were supposed to go to the Jets game," he complained. "I got some really killer tickets …"

"_Finn_ got some really killer tickets that you stole from the end table and proclaimed that you were having a boys' night with Ben," Rachel told him seriously, a tight from crossing her face before reaching for the remote. "Put on Eyewitness News," she said as she tossed it at him.

Puck rolled his eyes but did what she said. She was crazy – well, craz_ier_ – when she was super preggo. (Hell, she was already past her due date. S'why he was taking Finn out and Kenz and Tina were coming over to sit with Rachel. He secretly hoped she went into labor during the game so that he didn't have to be there for it.

Though that would probably mean Finn would want to leave the game and head back for the birth of his kid or whatever.

Fuck that, he was driving and he wasn't about to miss the fucking game.

(He would never _ever_ say something like that to one of the women. He cried like a fucking three year old girl when Ben was born. He wouldn't have missed it for the world. Not that he wouldn't give Finn shit when the time came.)

"Holy shit," he muttered when he turned on the news and saw a building up in flames.

"Language, Noah," Rachel winced, her hand massaging her stomach once again. "She can hear you."

His eyes still glued on the television, he leaned sideways so his head was next to her stomach and said, "Please come out soon so your mommy can go back to her normal level of crazy. She's driving me nuts out here, Peanut."

Rachel hissed and rubbed her stomach a little tighter.

"'S wrong with you?"

"Nothing," she responded, her shoulders tense. She winced again.

"No fucking way," he whispered to himself.

"Noah!"

"Berry, level with me here …"

"That hasn't been my name in … oh," she winced, her teeth clenched, "in two years."

"How bad does it hurt?"

"It doesn't," she denied, eyes screwed shut. "Just a little uncomfortable. It's been happening for a couple of days. Braxton Hicks, I'm sure."

"I wouldn't be so sure," Puck said, his face screwed up in concentration.

"Noah …"

"Shut up, I'm counting."

"I think I know my body better than you do," she retorted.

"Your fault, not mine," he responded quickly, his lips moving as he silently counted.

"They're not real contrac … tions …" she said, eyes wide.

"What? What just happened? You paused in the middle of a word. You never do that."

She swallowed thickly and glanced to the television just as another window burst out from the blaze of the fire. "My water just broke," she said, slightly hysterically.

"Not a funny joke," he practically squealed (though he would deny it) as he jumped from the couch and fell backwards over the coffee table. "Not even a little bit."

"I'm not joking, Noah!" she cried as her hands both came up to grip her stomach and she grit her teeth in pain. "This is very much real."

"Shit," he muttered. "Holy shit. Holy fuck. Oh shit. What the fuck am I going to do?"

"First, you're going to stop cussing like a sailor and second you're going to call Kenz and Tina and get them here early!"

"Tina's flight doesn't land for another two hours and Kenz is in a fucking meeting!" he cried out. Then he scrambled over the table and fell to his knees in front of Rachel, his hands gripping the side of her stomach. "Stay in there, Peanut," he said frantically. "And you!" he cried. He grabbed Rachel's legs and tried to cross them (without any success). Growling in frustration, he pressed her thighs together and crossed her ankles. "Don't move. Keep your legs together. You can hold out for three hours, right? Tina should be able to get here in three hours if her flight lands in two, right? Right?" he asked, eyes wide and darting around the room.

"God," Rachel muttered as she used his head to lever herself up from the couch. "How the hell did you deal with it when Kenz went into labor?" she asked ash she headed for the bedroom.

"I didn't have to!" he cried as he hurried after her waddling form. "She was at work when she popped! I met her at the hospital!"

"Well too bad you can't do that for me," she told him as she grabbed her hospital bag off the dresser and thrust it into his arms. "You're the only one here. You need to take me to the hospital. Now."

"You're not getting in my car in that pair of pants," he said, horrified, as he pointed at her. Change your pants and … underthings … and then we'll go."

"Noah!"

"It just got reupholstered!" he shot back. "No. New pants. Now."

"I hate you," she told him as she turned back to the dresser.

"Deal with it," he responded as he headed for the door. "And make it snappy. I'm going to be really pissed if Peanut pops out in my fucking car."

"You're going to be the worst godparent for her _ever_," Rachel hissed as she changed as quickly as she could (five minutes) and waddled after him. "I honestly cannot stand you."

"Yeah, yeah," he muttered as he wandered over to Ben's play area and shook him awake gently.

"Go Jets," the little boy murmured with a yawn and a stretch. "Is Uncle Finn here yet?"

"Not yet, buddy. He's stuck at work. We need to take Aunt Ray to the hospital."

"Is she hurt?" he asked as he wiped the sleep from his eyes.

"She going to have the baby now," Puck answered as he lifted up his son.

"Here?" the little boy asked with panicked eyes.

"Unless you and Daddy get a move on, yes," Rachel said seriously as she headed for the front door.

Puck glanced around the apartment once before jetting out the door.

He knew Berry would somehow screw up his guys' night. She'd been doing that since high school.

* * *

"Hudson!" Hector called over the sounds of the hoses. "Hudson!"

"Over here!" Finn called from his position. "What's up?"

Hector ran over, a broad smile on his face. "You need to get out of here."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Finn asked, eyes darting between his co-worker and the nearly-extinguished flames. "I can get to another game. It's not the end of the world. Puck'll understand."

"It's Rachel!" Hector called over the sound of one of the other hose trucks pulling away.

"What's wrong with her?" Finn asked, eyes wide and panicked, hands unsteadily gripping the hose.

"She went into labor, man! Your buddy Puck saw Joey V down at the ER and V called it in over the radio. She's been there for a good twenty minutes already and I know what rush hour traffic from your place to the hospital can be like. So go get in the car. Danny's gonna take you over."

"I …"

"Go!" Hector laughed as he shut off the valve on the hose. "It's almost out and Ray'll never forgive us if you miss the birth of your baby girl!" He shoved at Finn. "Go!"

"Right," Finn answered, eyes still wide, hands shaking slightly, as he unsteadily walked towards Danny. A smile slowly spread across his face as he picked up his pace, practically sprinting towards his friend. "Rachel's in labor!" he called out.

"I know," Danny responded with a grin. "So get your giant ass in the car and let's get a move on! We need to get to Beth Israel."

Finn nodded and tried to run around the front of the car but ran into the bumped instead. He let out a nervous laugh and continued his journey, all but throwing himself into the front seat. "You're going to use the lights, right?" he asked when Danny got in as well.

"Can't have you missing the birth of your first baby," Danny said with a grin. "Why don't you flip it on?"

"Really?" Finn asked, smile wide like a child's.

"It's a big day for you, kiddo. Have at it."

Finn switched on the siren and the squad car took off.

* * *

"Dude, you do _not_ want to go in there," Puck said seriously as he grabbed Finn by his biceps to stop him. "She's out of her mind."

"You left her in there _alone_?" Finn asked in horror.

"Hell no," Puck retorted. "I called Kenz and got her out of her damn department meeting or whatever it was as soon as she got into that room, grabbed my hand and started screaming. Your wife is in-fucking-tense, dude."

"As if you didn't already know that," Finn rolled his eyes. "Hey, bud," he said to Ben. "You okay?"

The little boy sniffled and wiped at his eyes. "Aunt Ray is hurt."

"I'll go make her better," Finn promised as he placed his helmet on the seat next to Ben and pulled off his jacket as well. He nodded once to Puck and then headed to find a nurse.

"Hello," he said with a wide smile, face and pants covered in soot. "I'm Finn Hudson. My wife, Rachel, is in labor." _Cool under pressure_, he whispered in his mind. _Way to go, Finn_. "I think I probably need a shower before you let me in there."

"You over at the four alarm in Red Hook?" the older woman asked and motioned for him to follow her.

"Yeah," he responded. "Almost out. 's how the let me come here."

"Right in there," she motioned to one of the staff lounges. "I'll leave some scrubs and booties for you as well. You wife has a while to go so don't rush."

"Right," Finn laughed before proceeding to take the shortest shower of his life.

* * *

"Babe? I … Whoa!" he shouted as he ducked the ice-filled cup that was chucked at his head.

"You are _never_ touching me again, Finn Hudson!"

"What the …?"

"Breathe, Rachel," Kenz laughed as she brushed Rachel's sweaty bangs from her forehead.

Rachel took a few deep breaths and, when the pain was gone, smiled with tears in her eyes. "You made it," she said softly.

"Can I come closer?" he asked, body poised to make a run for it if she freak out again.

"Of course," she said softly. "I'm sorry. It just hurts _so bad_."

He was by her side in an instant. He gripped her hands and pressed a kiss to her brow. "Sorry it took me so long to get here. Danny brought me over. I think he's in the lobby with Puck."

"Have him arrested for being a baby," Rachel pouted. "He made me change before he would drive me to the hospital."

"Why?" Finn asked, confused, as he looked between Rachel and Kenz.

"The new upholstery in the car," Kenz responded with an eye roll. "He didn't want to need it to be done again because he hates the minivan."

"In his defense …"

"Don't go there, Finn," Rachel warned. "Another contraction is going to start any minute and you do not want to be defending Noah when it happens."

"Right," Finn nodded and held her hand tighter. "Squeeze when it hurts."

* * *

"Oh my God. Oh my God. Ow! Owowowowowow!"

"Don't be such a baby, Finn," Kenz said as she rolled her eyes and pressed a cool cloth against Rachel's forehead.

* * *

"You ever lay another finger on my again, Finn Hudson, and I will cut off your …"

"Rachel!"

* * *

"I want the drugs!"

"You can't have them, sir."

"I need them!"

"Puck, shut up!" Rachel cried out. "This isn't about _your_ pain! You're not even _in_ pain!"

Then she screamed again.

"Wanna bet?" he muttered.

* * *

"You're doing great, babe," Finn whispered in her ear.

"Don't. Touch. Me."

* * *

"Looks like you're at ten," the doctor said with a grin. "Let's get ready to push."

* * *

"She's never coming out!" Rachel screamed after push number three.

"We're doing great, Rachel," Dr. Chu said enthusiastically.

"_We_?" She cried through a scream. "You're just sitting there! I'm passing something the size of a watermelon through a hole the size of a fucking lemon!"

"And here come the cusses …" Kenz said with a grin, eyes darting to her watch.

* * *

"She's crowning!"

"What does a crown have to do with this?"

"Shut _up_, Finn!"

* * *

"And she's out," Dr. Chu said as he passed the screaming bundle to a nurse. "You did great, Rachel."

Rachel lay back on the bed, panting and crying, Finn holding her close and whispering his love to her over and over.

After a few minutes passed, the nurse brought the squirming pink blanket over and laid it in Rachel's still shaky arms. "Six pounds, two ounces, seventeen inches," the nurse said with a smile.

"Thank you," Rachel whispered as she stared down at their daughter, her little fists flying and her eyes screwed shut. "She's beautiful."

"She looks like you," Finn whispered, turning his eyes for a brief second to sniff and discretely wipe at his eyes. "Perfect." He leaned down and pressed a kiss to Rachel's lips. "Thank you."

Rachel smiled, eyes never leaving the baby. "She looks like a Sadie."

"Princess," he whispered. "Perfect."

"You know what the name means?"

Finn nodded. "I had a dream the other night when I was at the station. It was just me and you but I was calling for Sadie." He shrugged. "I looked it up cuz I thought it might mean something. Plus I know you liked the name from when you made that _giant_ list back around month three."

"You want to pick her middle name?" she asked softly, a tired smile crossing her lips.

"Carolanne," he whispered.

"Sadie Carolanne Hudson," Rachel responded. "I love it," she added as her eyes slowly shut and she gave in to the exhaustion of giving birth.

"I love you," he answered. He ran a gentle finger over his daughter's tiny, clenched fist as smiled as she opened her hand wide, gripping at nothing, and yawned. "Both of you."


	10. Breaking News

Fair warning - this is super emotional. You might cry. I did.

This is for my fildos - thanks for being with me every step of the way on this. It was hard to write but you guys got me through. I love you all.

.**xo**.

'"Daddy, I'm _fine_," Rachel stressed as she buckled herself into the new Audi Q7 she and Finn had just purchased in anticipation of the expansion of their family. She rubbed her swollen belly when the baby kicked. "Shh," she whispered softly. "Mommy knows, baby."

"He kicking?" She knew her father was grinning, all the way in Lima, just by the inflection in his voice.

Rachel rolled her eyes even though he couldn't see her. "We don't know if it's a boy or a girl," she repeated for what seemed like the millionth time since the doctor asked if she and Finn wanted to know their baby's gender.

It had been a conscious decision on the part of the Hudsons to not find out whether their first child would be a boy or a girl.

Well, sort of conscious.

Okay, really, it was Puck taunting Rachel by saying she would never be able to last the whole pregnancy without finding out the sex of the baby. ["Face it, Berry. You're too fucking anal to not be able to plan this down to the fucking smallest detail." – "It's Hudson, Puckerman, and you wanna bet?"] Finn wisely stayed quiet, only offering "as long as he or she is healthy, I don't mind either way."

[Rachel had no idea that Finn confessed to Ralph, Hector and Danny that he was silently hoping for a little girl with her mother's smile.]

"I still can't believe you, of all people, are refusing to plan for one of the most significant events in your life. I mean, baby, even the neutral colors have a gender bias. Yellow and green are more often than not associated with girls and boys respectively."

"Thank you, Martha Stewart," she responded dryly. She let out a sigh and rubbed her belly gently. "We love you, Poppy," she said quietly. "We'll see you in a month."

"Not fair making me cry, baby," Hiram chuckled. "Where are you headed?"

"Kenz and I have a meeting with one of the administrators over at their local JCC. They're trying to get Noah to agree to coach a pee wee football team and Kenz wants to make sure they're on the up-and-up," she answered with a sigh. "I think she thinks because I'm Jewish I'll be able to tell or something. Personally, I think she's looking for a reason _not_ to."

"What does Noah think?"

"He thinks that it might be nice to have something other than basketball to focus on. He loves his job but I think he's starting to hate the team."

"It's the Knicks, baby. They hate themselves."

"You're terrible," she laughed. "I hate to cut you off, but I need to get going. Kenz was pretty adamant about the time today. And I'm sure traffic will be _lovely_."

"Okay, Rachel. Give Finn and the others my love. I'll talk to you soon."

"We love you too, Poppy," she said with a grin before disconnecting the phone. Now all she had to do was get over to Prospect Park to meet Kenz.

She was going to be so late.

* * *

"She's just a little behind," Kenz assured the guests for Rachel's outdoor baby shower. "She was probably on the phone with her rabbi checking up on the center she thinks we're going to," she laughed. "Rachel is nothing if not prepared and thorough."

"She was always like that, though," Tina chimed in. "It's probably just traffic. She's only five minutes late and she's coming in from Manhattan."

* * *

"Today was the shower, right, Sinatra?" Hector asked as he and Finn hosed down the engine.

"Yeah," Finn smiled. "It was _so hard_ keeping it from her. Because she has, like, powers or something. She can always tell when I've got a secret."

"She's a woman," Ralph chucked from his desk along the wall. "They're all like that."

"I bet she has a great time," Finn said. "Tina's here, Brittany and Mercedes came in. And I think my brother's going to be there too."

Hector shook his head with a grin. "It's like that's completely normal for you; your brother going to bridal showers and baby showers and shit."

"It is normal," Finn laughed. "He used to always try to be on the girl's team when we did mash-ups in Glee."

"And there he goes, being all music man and shit again," Hector sighed.

"Shut up," was Finn's witty retort as he quickly sprayed their driver and continued to wash the truck.

* * *

"I _hate_ being late," she muttered to herself as she waited in the left turn lane to go from Bedford Avenue onto the Eastern Parkway. "Kenz is probably freaking out."

When her light turned green, she slowly inched out to be sure no one was coming. When she was clear, she pressed her foot to the gas and started her turn.

She never saw the Suburban coming.

Hell, once it hit her in the driver's side door, she didn't see much of anything.

* * *

"I'm kinda getting worried," Kenz said as she pressed the end button on her cell phone after leaving her fourth message. "It isn't like Rachel not to answer. And she has one of those hands free things in the car, too. All she has to do is say answer and she can talk."

"Maybe she's at the wrong end of the park," Sandy shrugged. "I've done it before."

"No. I told her exactly where to meet me," Kenz replied, her voice slightly frantic. "We meet here on Sundays to walk."

"Call Finn," Brittany supplied. "Maybe he knows what the deal is."

Kenz nodded before hitting speed dial number five on her phone.

* * *

"Busy day, boys!" Mike called as he grabbed his gear and hopped into the truck.

"_Engine 216, there's a duel car accident north or Prospect Park. All local engines are dispatched. Please respond. Possible casualties,"_ the disembodied voice of the dispatcher sounded as the guys grabbed their gear and jumped into the truck.

"216," Finn responded as he climbed into the cab and grabbed the radio, "En route."

"Let's roll!" Alex cried as he slapped the side of the truck before Hector gunned the engine, flipped on the lights and sirens, and pulled out.

* * *

When Kenz saw several police cruisers go racing by, her heart dropped into her stomach. With shaking hands, she dialed Rachel's number again.

* * *

Finn jumped out of the cab as soon as the engine slowed enough for him to safely do so. He saw about three police cars already there.

"Hudson, 216, Williamsburg. What do we have?" he asked as he jogged to a police officer, his eyes noticing a black suburban on all four wheels and a silver small SUV on its driver's side. It looked to have rolled once or twice, since the passenger's side, which was in the air, looked to only be slightly damaged and scratched up.

He hated the fact that he would probably have to go with one of the officers to tell a family that their loved one wasn't coming home.

"Reyes, 71st, first on scene. White female. Mid-twenties. Caucasian. Pregnant. She's pinned to the ground. Your guys got the jaws?"

"Yeah," Finn responded as he jogged with Reyes. His eyes took in more of the car and he almost froze in his place.

Those plates looked familiar.

He moved faster, almost in a full run, as he rounded the vehicle and dropped to his knees beside the shattered glass from the broken windows.

"Hudson?"

"No," he whispered as he reached a shaking hand out to move aside an unruly mess of brown hair. "No." He swallowed thickly and shut his eyes before opening them again to see a line of blood trickling down the woman's forehead. [_A very familiar forehead_.]

He followed the blood down to a pair of eyes that were shut but he was almost certain that if they were open they would be a rich chocolate brown.

He gulped, loudly, ignoring the questions being shot at him from Reyes. He shifted and moved the hair a little more until he saw it. _Her_ nose. "Rachel," he choked out in a harsh whisper. "Rach," he tried again, a little louder. "Rachel, baby, open your eyes for me." He moved his hand all over her face but she was unresponsive. "Rachel, baby, please. I need you to open your eyes. Rachel … Rachel, please! _Please_!" he shouted, tears streaming down his cheeks as he frantically tried to rouse his wife.

He felt two strong pairs of hands wrap around his shoulders and hoist him from the ground.

"No!" he fought against the hold. "That's my wife! You have to …! Let me go!"

"Can't," Alex said as Sarah dropped down next to the car and started trying to stabilize Rachel as Hector, Ellis and Frank carried the jaws over. "You need to back up. You need to let them get her out."

"She's non-responsive," he said, eyes wide, as Sarah continually tried to talk to her. "I don't … I can't … Is she breathing?" he yelled out to Sarah. "Is she breathing!"

"C'mon, man," Mike said, as he tugged Finn away from the vehicle. "Go wait by the truck."

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Finn screamed, incredulous. "That's my fucking _wife_!"

"Which is exactly why you shouldn't be watching, son," Ralph said gently as he wrapped an arm around him. "Come back to the truck and let the guys work. You know them. You know how good they are. They're going to get Rachel and the baby out and then you can go see her."

Finn's heart dropped.

He hadn't even thought about the baby.

His legs buckled and he dropped to the ground, knees hitting the asphalt hard.

He could lose them both.

* * *

Puck stared at the television, his hands shaking as he read the bottom banner "MAJOR ACCIDENT – PROSPECT PARK – BROADWAY ACTRESS RACHEL HUDSON IN SERIOUS COLLISION".

"_We at Eyewitness News 7 will be on the scene throughout. To sum up, according to several eyewitnesses, Mrs. Hudson was turning right at the intersection as was hit by a speeding Chevrolet Suburban. The driver of the Suburban is unharmed. Hudson is currently being removed from the vehicle – you can hear what we can only assume to be the jaws of life grinding behind me – and will then be taken to a local hospital. She is eight months pregnant."_

Puck clicked off the television and shouted to his co-workers that he had to leave.

As soon as he was out the door, he dialed his wife's cell phone.

"Noah? Have you heard from Rachel? She's really late."

Puck swallowed thickly, holding back the tears he would never let anyone know threatened him, and whispered, "Baby, I got some bad news."

* * *

"Thanks, Hannah," Kenz whispered brokenly into the phone. "We'll be home as soon as we can. Don't … don't tell him that Aunt Rachel is hurt, okay?"

"Sure," the young babysitter responded. "I hope she's okay."

"Me too," Kenz whispered as she hung up the phone.

She almost didn't see her husband as he ran past her to get to where Finn was still kneeling on the ground.

"It's okay!" she heard one of the firemen shout when a police officer tried to stop him.

She just gripped Tina's hand and held tight, a silent prayer going out to her best friend.

* * *

"Finn!" Puck called as he hit his knees in front of his best friend. When the fireman didn't look up, Puck grabbed his chin and forced their eyes to meet. "Look at me."

"It's Rachel and the baby," Finn whispered in a daze. "They're stuck in the car. She wasn't breathing. If she doesn't breathe then the baby can't breath."

"Finn! Finn, look at me. Look at my eyes, Finn."

"What am I going to do without her?"

"Hudson! Look at me!" Puck shouted as he shook Finn's face. "Look at me right now."

"I'm going to lose my wife and my baby."

"Finn! Finn, come back to me! Look at me! Listen to me. Can you hear me?" Puck screamed, moving his hands to his friend's shoulders and shaking them roughly. "Answer me you stupid fuck!"

"Calm down!" one of the firemen shouted.

"Shut the fuck up," Puck shouted back before shaking Finn harder. "Look me in the eye right now, you pansy ass motherfucker. Look at me and listen to what I have to say. It's about fucking time you do that anyway." He grabbed Finn's chin and moved his head so their eyes met again. "They're going to be fine. Do you hear me? Rachel Fucking Hudson is too god damn fucking stubborn to let some stupid shit like a car crash take her out. She and the baby are going to be _fine_. Do you hear me?" When Finn didn't answer, Puck shook him harder. "Answer me!"

"She's …"

"She's going to be fine," Puck stressed again. "You say it now."

"She's …"

"Going to be fine. Say it."

"She's going … she's …" Finn choked.

"She's going to be fine. Say it, Hudson."

"But they baby …"

"_They're_ going to be fine," Puck rephrased. "Say it."

"They're going to …"

"Be fine," he encouraged. "Say it once, out loud."

"They're going to be f-fine," Finn whispered.

"Louder."

"They-they're going to be fine."

"Again."

"They're … they're …"

"She's out!" they heard shouted from the car. "Pulse steady, breathing shallow. We have a heartbeat for the baby too. Get her hooked up and in the bus."

And that was the moment Finn Hudson collapsed into his best friend's arms, large body heaving and shaking from the intensity of his sobs.

"They're going to be fine," Puck whispered into his friend's ear as he slowly rubbed his back. "They're going to be just fine."

* * *

Puck helped his friend into the ambulance beside his wife before walked over to his own wife and wrapping his arms tightly around her. "I love you so much and I'm sorry if I don't say it every day but I will from now on. I swear, baby. Every fucking day. I love you so fucking much," he whispered into her hair.

"I love you, too," she swore as she tightened her grip on him. "I love you."

* * *

Finn settled inside the ambulance, his large hand encasing Rachel's smaller one. He was out of the way, tucked (as much as someone his size _can_ tuck) in a corner. But he wouldn't, couldn't let go of her hand.

He thanked Cheesus for the modern technology of the FDNY ambulances as he heard two strong, steady heartbeats.

He was just nervous because Rachel wasn't awake yet.

"They're going to be fine, Finn," Sarah said softly as she checked Rachel's pulse. "Her breathing is back to normal. We just need to do a CT scan when we get to the hospital. Do you want me to call the guys and have someone bring you a change of clothes?"

"Puck'll do it," he whispered confidently, eyes focused on Rachel's face. "Is it normal for there to be so much blood in her hair?"

"Head wounds bleed, Finn," she assured him. "Rachel's going to be just fine. And so it the baby. Her body had a big shock. She'll be awake before you know it."

"Hate to say it, Sar, but I already know it," Finn responded. "She …" he paused, brow furrowed. "Did you hear that?"

"No," Sarah said as she shook her head. "Move a little so I can get up to work on that cut."

Finn slid down the seat and pressed his hand against Rachel's stomach.

He almost started crying again when he felt the baby kick back. "Daddy's right here," he said in a whisper as he leaned forward to press his lips against the barely-visible foot. "Daddy's not going anywhere."

"Hey," Sarah said softly from her position by Rachel's head.

"Hmm?" Finn hummed, eyes focused on Rachel's belly.

"Wasn't talking to you," was the response he got.

"Then who …?" he asked as he turned around and his eyes immediately caught hold of a pair of chocolate brown ones. "Rachel," he breathed.

She mouthed the word _hello_ but immediately winced.

"Don't talk," Sarah advised. "We're almost there."

"Fffff …"

"I'm here, baby," he whispered as the tears started slipping down his face again. "I'm right here."

"The baby?" she moaned out hoarsely.

"Kicking up a storm," he answered.

"I broke the car."

"Yeah, not really too worried about the car right now, babe."

"I love you," she whispered.

He looked over to Sarah, who nodded, before glancing up and seeing they were backing into the ambulance bay at the emergency room. He leaned over and pressed a gentle kiss to her lips. "I love you too. Now be nice to the hospital workers and I'll be with you as soon as they'll let me be."

"I hate hospitals," she told him seriously. "No offense," she added when two emergency room workers met the gurney.

Finn watched them wheel her away before letting his head thunk back against the wall of the bus, another silent prayer escaping his lips.

She was going to be okay. He knew that.

Now all he had to do was call their parents and tell _them_ that.


	11. First Date

"Mom!" Sadie shouted through the open door of her bedroom. "Have you seen my denim skirt?"

"Which one?"Finn muttered to himself at the kitchen table, eyes fixed on the _Times_. "Have six million."

"Seven," Christopher, their only son, chimed in. "Uncle Kurt was here last weekend when you were at work."

Finn rolled his eyes. "Did he take all the girls shopping?"

"Whadda you think?" his son asked sarcastically.

Finn was about to respond when he heard Rachel call back, "Which one?"

"You know!" his sixteen-year-old responded. "The faded one!"

That piqued Finn's interest. He had never seen his little princess in a faded jean skirt. Which led him to stand, point a finger at Chris, say, "Don't let Kate break another lamp with her field hock stick," (ignoring his protest that Kate was five years older than he was) and stalk up the stairs to locate his wife and daughter.

"Found it!" Sadie shouted before her door slammed shut.

"Finn!" Rachel called from their bedroom. "You need to come get ready!"

"Puck and Kenz won't be here for another hour," he grumbled to himself. "Where's Sadie going tonight? I thought she said she …"

"Does this look okay, Mom?" the sixteen-year-old asked as she stepped into her parents' bedroom. She was in the faded denim skirt (which fell about mid-thigh) and a black tank top with a silver guitar screened onto it, long brown hair falling in curls over her shoulders. "Daddy!" she cried when she noticed Finn standing there.

He narrowed his eyes at her. "I thought you were studying with your friends tonight."

"I—" Sadie started, wide eyes turned to her mother, who was waving her arms frantically and mouthing "no."

"Rach, after all of our years together," Finn said evenly, "do you really think I have no idea what you're doing back there?"

"I wasn't –"

"Sadie Carolanne, where are you going tonight?"

Father and daughter caught each other's eyes and stared. Sadie's bottom lip pushed out after a moment and Finn felt his resolve cracking so he brought out what Chris had dubbed "the big guns". He crossed his arms and arched his brown, head tilted slightly towards his daughter.

"Fine," she pouted as she stomped her foot (so much like her mother). "All ages club in Brooklyn."

It amused Rachel, usually, how Finn and Sadie were each other's downfall and greatest weakness. Finn could _almost_ never say no to his eldest daughter; Sadie could never –_ever_ – lie to her father. Withhold the truth? Yes. But flat out lie to him? It was like a physically impossibility. (Their second daughter, Katie, however, could leave all of her carrots on her plate and, when asked, lie and convince her father that they were all gone. Her father, Leroy, was convinced that she would be either a lawyer or a politician.)

"You go ahead and call the girls and let them know you won't be going," Finn said, arms still crossed, as he glanced back at his wife to see her putting in her earrings and avoiding his gaze.

"Okay!" Sadie agreed quickly as she turned to leave.

She agreed a little _too_ quickly for Finn's comfort.

"Hold it!" he called out. (He chose to ignore the whispered "shit" that escaped as she froze in the hallway.) "You're not going to fight me on this?" he asked suspiciously, eyes narrowed at his daughter.

"No," she told him. "You're right. I shouldn't have lied. I'll call the girls and let them know I can't go with them tonight."

Finn squinted at her and pulled his cell phone from his pocket and handed it to her. "Call now."

"Finn!"

"Daddy!"

"Do it, Sadie," he said as he continued to hold his cell out.

"Finn, this is ridiculous. Noah and Makenzy will be here shortly and …"

"Daddy, stop being so oppressive! I said I would call and I will!"

"Shouldn't have lied," he said as he wiggled the phone at her.

Sadie scowled darkly as she took the phone and dialed her friend. "Hey, Leigh. Dad said I can't go out with the group tonight." She paused to let her friend speak and rolled her eyes. "I know, right? So I'll see you Monday." She hung up the phone and handed it back to her father. "Happy?" she hissed.

"Overjoyed," he deadpanned. "Now go put some clothes on."

"Fine," she stomped before turning and storming out (_so much_ like her mother).

He winced as he heard her door slam shut.

"Well you sure didn't win any points tonight," Rachel smiled as she fastened her necklace on.

* * *

"We'll see you later!" Rachel called as she and Kenz linked arms and walked out of the house.

"Remember that Kate is over at Jo's place and Chris went to spend the night at the youth center with his basketball team."

"Where's Norah?" Sadie asked from the top of the stairs, flannel pajama pants hanging low on her hips and a thick-strapped tank top covering her top half.

"Ballet then she's staying with Gretchen tonight," Finn responded. "I want you to leave your calc homework on the kitchen table so that I can check it when I get home." At her arched brow, Finn sighed. "So your mother can check it when we get home."

"Have fun," she waved sarcastically. "I know how much you _love_ going to benefits."

"I will _end you_, twerp," Puck said as he pointed a finger at her. "You're old enough to fight back."

"Which is why you're too scared to fight me, old man!" Sadie yelled with a laugh before running back into her room and shutting the door.

"You'd better run!" Puck called back with a smile before the four adults made their way to the waiting town car. "I love how famous you are, Berry," he added with a grin as he slid into the back seat.

Rachel rolled her eyes as she and Kenz climbed in as well, Finn getting in the front.

Sadie watched out her window as the car pulled away, counted to ten, then pulled out her phone.

_Gone. Give me ten then pick me up out front_, she texted.

_Deal. Can't wait for tonite_, she got in reply before she smiled widely and changed quickly into her skirt and tank top once again.

* * *

Sadie smiled across the booth at Chandler. This was nice, sitting in a real restaurant with a boy who _wasn't_ her nine-year-old brother, her oppressive father or her Uncle Noah.

They were having something to eat before heading to an all ages club in Brooklyn. (See, she hadn't lied to her father about the plans she had for the night. She only fibbed about who she was going with. And if she had told Leigh that she was going to feed her dad a bit of information and would likely be calling, it was just excellent planning on her part.)

"So, your folks bought it?" he asked as he swiped a french fry through some ketchup and ate it.

"Well, Mom knew all along," she answered with a little grin. "She thinks Daddy's being ridiculous about not letting me date until college. Later, if he can manage it. I think he thinks I'm going to go to NYU and live at home," she added with a slight shake of her head. "But I'm pretty sure I want to get out of the city and into the country for a while. Or the south." She took a sip of her water. "I've started researching the Savannah College of Art and Design. In Georgia."

"You're really good with art and stuff," Chandler replied with a nod. "You're probably the most talented artist at Calhoun. Maybe in all of the city."

She laughed in response (Sadie Hudson did _not_ giggle) and shook her head. "Have you started thinking of schools yet?"

Her date shook his head with a shrug. "Nah. I was actually thinking of just heading out to LA and seeing where it went from there."

"Ah," she replied with something of a forced smile. She kind of wished he had a career path in mind. "So, you ever been to this place before?"

"Yeah," Chandler replied with a grin. "It's awesome. Great music, great dancing."

"Pretty girls?"

"There will be when you get there."

"Save the lines, Romeo," she laughed again. "You already got the girl tonight."

"Lucky me," he responded seriously as he called for the check.

* * *

Ben Puckerman was in a Bad Mood. (With the capitals. He could always tell when it was bad. He could pretty much _hear_ the capital letters when his father said his mother was in a Bad Mood.) Back from school for not even a full day yet and his dad was sending him out to keep an eye on one of the players' daughters.

He wasn't a fucking babysitter.

But he did as he was told (always) and put on a pair of jeans and a Zepplin t-shirt and headed to the douchiest fucking club in Brooklyn – some kind of all ages place that he never set foot in before. Because it was for douchebags.

And Ben Puckerman was not a douchebag.

"Hey, douche! Watch where you're going!" some pimple-faced jackoff shouted at him when the reject bumped into him.

"Yeah, fuck off," he replied.

His dad was _so_ gonna pay for this shit.

Eyes trained on the girl he was "looking out for", he almost missed her.

Hell, he shouldn't have even recognized her in the first place. Her skirt was too short, her shirt was too tight, her heels were too high and her hair wasn't in braids.

There was no fucking way he was seeing Sadie Hudson in this shithole in Brooklyn. She lived on the Upper East Side, went to a private arts school and was basically the biggest fucking princess in the world.

But then she tilted her head back and laughed, one hand moving to the shoulder of some blonde tool, the other running through her curly dark hair, and he _knew_ it was her.

She laughed just like her mother did.

When Tool-y McDouchebag placed a hand on her hip and pulled her closer, sometime in him kicked into over-protective brother mode (she only had one brother and he was, like, nine, so he figured it was his job to look out for her) and stalked over to the young couple.

"Shouldn't you be leaving space for the Holy Spirit?" he asked with a smirk.

"I'm Jew – _ish_!" she squealed the last part as she turned to see Ben standing there. "Ben!" she yelled as she launched herself into his arms. "What are you _doing here_?"

"I could ask you the same thing," he said as he released her and took a step back, eyes surveying the young man his … friend … was with. "Who's this?"

"This is Chandler," she responded with a bright smile as she blindly reached behind her for her date's hand. "He goes to Calhoun too."

"Chandler?" Ben asked with a slight smirk and an arched brow.

"Behave," Sadie hissed.

"I didn't say anything," he responded as Chandler stuck his hand out. "How old are you, dude?" he asked.

"Ben!"

"Eighteen."

"You know she's, like, twelve, right?"

"I'm sixteen, Benjamin, as you well know. And don't you have something to do? Some slutty co-ed with daddy issues or something?"

"Speaking of daddy issues," he smirked. "How did you get Daddy to let you out tonight? Especially with him and Aunt Ray being out with Mom and Dad?" When she wouldn't meet his eyes, his smirk widened. "Holy shit. He doesn't know."

"Ben."

"He doesn't know you're on a date with an eighteen year old?" Without waiting for her to respond, he continued, "Does your mom know?"

"Not _all_ of the specifics," she admitted.

"Like?"

"His age?" she asked.

"Sorry, kiddo, but no dice," Ben said as he pulled out his cell phone. "I'm no helping you … deceive your father."

"Ben!" she said warningly as she grabbed at his phone. "Please. I need to get out. Please. And …"

"I'm not a bad guy," Chandler interjected with a winning grin. "Seriously. I'll take care of her."

Ben narrowed his eyes but nodded. "Any funny business and I'm stepping in."

"Understood," Chandler responded with a nod. "We'll catch up with you later, bro."

Ben eyed him one more time before arching a brow and pointing at Sadie. "You know I got my eyes on you."

"You're ridiculous," she responded before taking Chandler's hand and pulling him onto the makeshift dance floor.

"He's kind of intense," Chandler said as they stared moving with the music of the cover band on the small stage. "How do you know him?"

"My dad and his dad are, like, best friends or something. They've been buddies since, like, forever. So Ben and I were thrown together all the time. And when he got older he babysat me and stuff."

"So, friends?"

"Something like that," she shrugged as the band slowed the tempo.

"Dance with me?" he asked softly as his hands moved to her hips and he pulled her closer.

"Sure," she agreed in the same tone of voice, her arms wrapping around his neck.

Ben kept one eye on them and one on the girl his dad had him tailing.

It took about an hour but he saw the tool's hand wander _way_ south of the equator. (He chose to ignore the smile on her face.)

This was _so _not going down on his watch. He knew that if Uncle Finn knew he knew she was there and he didn't inform his favorite uncle then all hell would break loose.

He only felt slightly bad as he pulled his cell phone out, snuck closer to the couple (who were about to kiss) and took a picture. He jetted off into the crowd and text it to Finn.

Twenty minutes later, his father was smirking at him as Finn was taking Chandler by the arm and pulling him from the club, an indignant Sadie chasing after them.

He slowly followed after, ignoring his mother and Aunt Rachel's scowls and his father's amused laugh.

"… being ridiculous!" Sadie was yelling when he got outside.

"I'll get to _you_ in a minute," Finn said, eyes still on Chandler. "And what kind of a name is _Chandler_ anyway? I mean, seriously. Who names their kid after a TV show?"

"Idiot," Puck muttered as Rachel let out an indignant squawk.

"Not _you_," Finn corrected. "Rachel's a normal name and I love it. Chandler …"

"Daddy! Stop being rude. Chandler didn't do anything wrong."

"Did he know you weren't allowed to come out tonight?"

"No!"

"Yes," Chandler admitted. "But, to be honest, Mr. Hudson, I just wanted to spend time with Sadie. And I figured it would be more appropriate in a setting with people around as opposed to us staying in your empty house. Not that anything would have happened …"

"Like this?" Finn asked as he pulled out his cell phone to show the young man the photo Ben had sent to him.

Sadie reached for the phone then turned on Ben with fire in her eyes. "Puckerman!"

"Shit," he whispered.

"Ben!" Makenzy frowned before slapping him in the back of the head.

"Nice, dude," Puck grinned. "Way to cock block Bieber."

"Who?" Ben asked with an arched brow.

"Never mind," Finn spat. "Sadie Carolanne, car. Chandler Bing, go home. This date is over. And it won't _ever_ be happening again."

"Daddy!"

"Don't even think about it," Finn warned. "You lied, you snuck out … get in the car. We'll talk about your grounding later."

"This is all _your_ fault!" she shouted, tear-filled eyes trained on Ben. "I _hate_ you! And I'm _never_ speaking to you again!" she added as she turned and stomped towards the car.

Ben shrugged and headed back into the club, his father following.

"You know she's gonna be pissed at you for a while," Puck said.

"She'll get over it. Kid was a stuck up, rich boy douche," Ben responded. "He was like a _guy_ her but worse," he added. "She needs someone rough around the edges. Someone to challenge her. Someone …"

"Like you?"

Ben stared at his father for a moment before muttering "Bite me" and stalking away.

Puck laughed before heading out to meet his wife and friends. He was pretty sure this would be the most tense ride home in the history of ever.


	12. Prom Date

Everyone just assumed they would go to the prom together. They would, of course, but that didn't mean Rachel didn't need the question asked. He knew her answer as well as she did but that didn't stop his palms from sweating when he even _thought_ about the how, when and where he was going to ask.

His girlfriend had very high expectations of him. When he'd refused the crown at Homecoming because Santana had been elected Queen, he'd _almost_ gotten lucky. (Well, okay, so she went down on him and it was _awesome_ but they nearly had sex too so that was why it was almost.) He knew Santana would always be a sore spot for them and he planned to do everything in his power to never make her wonder. So he'd politely declined and pushed his brother onto the stage and wrapped his arms around his girlfriend and told her he loved her.

It was kinda scary now, though, because he knew he would have to beat that "incredibly romantic gesture" when asking her to go to prom with him. And he constantly had to remind himself to not ruin whatever epic plan he came up with by asking if they would be getting a room after the dance.

"The hell you look so constipated for?" Puck asked as he sat down on the bench press beside Finn, sweat sliding down his temples.

"Prom," Finn answered absently.

"I'd junk you right now," the boy with the 'hawk scoffed, "but I doubt it would hurt."

"Shut up and spot me," the first baseman responded as he laid back and gripped the barbell suspended about his chest. "I just don't know how to ask Rachel."

"You're already practically fucking married," Puck pointed out. "The hell you have to ask her for?" When Finn pulled the weight down and shot him a look as he pushed it back up, Puck chuckled. "Right. It's Berry. Have you thought about getting a skywriter?"

Finn nearly dropped the weight on himself. He was lucky Puck was there to grab it before it could fall on him. "Shit! D'ya think she wants something that big? Cuz I started saving money for New York …"

"New York?" Puck interjected as he helped Finn move the weight back to the holder and sat down in his previous seat on the bench. "You're leaving?"

Finn was grateful Puck knew he wasn't talking about Nationals. He shrugged like it was no big deal. "Can't let her go."

"Your mom know?" Puck questioned, hands clasped between his spread knees.

"Yeah," Finn nodded. "Well. Sort of. She keeps saying no. But there's no way I'm letting her go without me. I can't … I just can't be without her. It's like I don't know how."

"S'cool," Puck said softly. "I'm, you know, staying here. In Lima," he added needlessly.

"Because of your family?"

Puck shrugged. "It's kinda nice to be around the house. Mom's new boyfriend or whatever is pretty coll. And the kid's hit that weird stage where she hates Ma so I figure there should be someone else around for her to talk to if she needs it or whatever."

Finn was about to comment when Sam and Mike walked into the weight room.

"What's up?" Sam asked.

Puck shot him a look of what could only be considered hysterical panic so Finn shrugged and answered, "Trying to figure out a way to ask Rachel to prom."

The other boys winced. "Good luck with that," Mike replied as he moved over to the leg press. "I don't envy you for that."

"Your girlfriend asked you because you were too much of a pussy to do it yourself," Puck snorted.

"Shut up," Mike muttered. "She's kinda hot when she tells me what to do."

"I'm with you on that," Finn nodded with a faraway grin.

"Oh my God," Puck groaned. "You two make me sick. Seriously," he continued, "I just threw up in my mouth."

"You're such a dick," Sam laughed as he did some pull-ups. "Just because you're alone …"

"Pot. Kettle."

"Shut up. Just because you're alone and miserable …"

"Not miserable."

"Doesn't mean the rest of us should be. I mean, look at me. I'm single and I don't really care."

"S'because Santana still looks at you like a pair of whateverthefuck designer shoes. Or a piece of steak or whatever. You know she's a sure thing on prom night," Puck shrugged.

"You gonna go?" Finn asked his best friend as he heard his cell phone beep. He reached down and pulled his phone from the floor and glanced at his screen. He saw a little envelope with Rachel's name beside it, so he tapped his screen to read the text message. "Shit."

"What?" Mike asked.

Finn dropped the phone and hung his head. "That was Rachel. Mercedes just got asked to prom." He ran his hands through his hair and over his face. "I'm totally fucked if I can't come up with some _epic_ way to ask her."

"Safe to assume 'Hey, babe. You, me, bump and grind?' is out?" Puck asked.

"Fuck off," Finn groaned.

Mike, Puck and Sam all shared a grin before Puck said, "Relax, dude. We'll help you out."

Finn got a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach but he was so desperate for help that he couldn't bring himself to care.

* * *

Sam met Finn at his locker after second period. "You need to ask her in a foreign language," the blonde said with a bright smile.

"What?" Finn asked as he turned to his friend. He furrowed his brow in thought then shook his head strongly. "No. No way. I barely understand English, dude. And if I can't ask her in, like, my native language or whatever, how in the hell am I supposed to ask her in, like, Canadian or whatever?"

"Most Canadians speak English, dude," Sam said as he pulled a face.

"_Whatever_," the taller boy said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "Point is, I can't figure out the right words in English and you want me to ask her in, like, Spanish or something?"

"No way. Spanish is _lame_. You need to ask her in Na'vi."

"Avatar language?" Finn scoffed. "You're out of your mind. Not only would Rachel say no, but she'd probably, like, cut me off or something. Forget it. I worked hard to get what I got. I like my all access pass, dude. No way I'm risking it to ask her to prom in some weird-ass, made-up language."

"It got me Quinn," the blonde pointed out.

"Yeah? How's that goin' for ya?"

"Shut up," Sam muttered. "It was a good idea."

"Stop trying to turn me into you so you can become me or whatever."

"You did the Beiber thing too, jackass."

Finn snorted. "For, like, ten minutes. Wasn't me. You, though," he added as he flipped Sam's hair jokingly, "it's _totally_ you!"

"Aww, man! Homo Explosion done leaded out into the hallway," Azimio said as he and Karofsky approached their former teammates.

"I think we should wash it away," Karofsky added with a wicked grin.

Before Sam and Finn had a chance to react there was grape slushie sliding down their faces.

"Damnit," Finn whispered.

"S'what you get for making fun of my idea. And my hair," the blonde said as he wiped the purple slush from his eyes.

"Stupid idea," Finn stressed. "Really stupid."

(He tried it anyway but Rachel just asked if he was sick and started chattering on about the dude who asked Mercedes and how the girls were going dress shopping after the guys' baseball tournament.)

* * *

"Dance," Mike said a few days later as he sat down beside Finn in Spanish.

"No," Finn said slowly, deliberately, seriously.

"Why not?" Mike returned with a wide grin and a little bounce in his chair. "It's perfect!"

"For you maybe," Finn scoffed. "I _suck_ at dancing. I mean, Artie dances better than me and he can't move his legs, dude. I'm pretty pathetic. I have the rhythm of a drunk penguin or something."

"Yet you're a kickass drummer …" Mike said leadingly, his grin growing.

"Yeah. Don't know what that's all about. But Rachel thinks it's hot when I drum. She wants me to teach her," he added with a grin of his own and an eyebrow wiggle.

"Damn," Mike whispered. His eyes trailed over to where Rachel and Puck were arguing over something (as per usual). "That's gonna be totally hot," he added, still whispering.

Finn snapped his fingers in front of his friend's face. "Eyes forward, dude."

Mike shook his head and then turned to Finn. "Give me a week, dude," he said as Mr. Schue walked in. "If you're not getting better then you can quit."

"Deal," Finn whispered as they shook on it before their teacher opened his mouth to begin class.

* * *

_Really bad idea_, Finn thought as the ER doctor snapped his dislocated shoulder back into place. He cried out in pain before shooting an angry glare at a sheepish Mike who was standing on the opposite side of the room.

"How long do I have to wear this for?" Finn asked as Adele Puckerman slid the sling over his head and adjusted his arm and the strap so it sat correctly.

"Four weeks," she responded as she pinched his cheek. "Plenty of time before prom."

Finn let out a breath he hadn't known he was holding.

"Sad to say you're done with baseball for the year, though. Unless you make the playoffs," Dr. Phillips said.

"Damnit," he muttered as she shot another irritated glare at his Asian companion. "I was two away from the homerun record."

"How did this happen anyway?" Mrs. Puckerman asked.

Finn wanted to lie but he knew his mom and Mrs. P. had brunch on Saturdays and she would find out anyway. He blushed a bright red before telling her how Mike was teaching him how to dance better and he was doing a lift, lost his grip, and Mike fell on his shoulder.

(He was relieved when she held in her laughter. It would have been _so much worse_ if she had started laughing at him.)

"You suck so much," Finn said to Mike. "Rachel's gonna be so pissed at you."

"Me?" the dancer asked in shock. "Why's she gonna be mad at me?"

"Think of all the choreography she's gonna have to rework because I can't do the moves," Finn said with a wicked grin. "And don't doubt that I'm gonna play the innocent victim. 'Cuz I'll act so well you'll wanna give me an Oscar."

"Finn!" Mrs. Puckerman chided.

He turned to her, eyes wide. "But Momma P, I tried to tell him I wasn't ready but he just came at me anyway. I hate to at least _try_ to catch him or _he_ would have been hurt. And he's our best dancer."

Adele stared at him for a moment before shaking her head and whistling lowly. She turned to Mike with a sympathetic grin. "Sorry, kid, but you're dead meat. He's _good_."

Mike swore under his breath.

* * *

"Finn!" Rachel exclaimed as she hurried down the hall towards him. "Oh my goodness! What happened? Was it baseball practice? Did Noah hit you with a bat again?" she asked as she leaned in and whispered threateningly.

He should have thought of that.

"Naw, babe. It's nothin'. I was just getting Mike's help with some choreography I wanted to try out for a new number and well …" he gestured to his arm. "I guess I wasn't as ready as he thought I was."

"You should have told him." She said softly as she ran a gentle hand over his jaw.

"I tried," he responded quietly. "But he just kept coming at me. I had to catch him, babe. I just _had_ to. I couldn't let him get hurt; he's our _best dancer_!"

"Oh my God!" she exclaimed. "Nationals!"

"I get to take the sling off right before we go," he told her. "And I'll work extra hard on the choreography. I promise."

"I'm impressed with your dedication, Finn," she told him with an adorably serious look on her face. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to have a strongly-worded conversation with Mike Chang." She pushed onto her toes to give him a kiss on the cheek. "I'll see you later. I love you," she told him before she turned and hurried down the hall.

"Love you too!" he called with a hidden smirk.

_Told you it was a bad idea, Chang_, he thought with an impious smile.

* * *

"I heard you were in the market for some relationship advice," Artie said as he rolled up to where Finn was sitting in the bleachers watching baseball practice.

"I don't need _relationship advice_," Finn hissed. "I need help asking Rachel to prom."

"Isn't it just assumed …?"

"Of course it is," the taller boy shot back. "But it's Rachel. She uses twenty words when she needs, like, four. So even if it _is_ assumed and we all _know_ she's going to say yes …" he rolled his eyes and sighed before placing his head in his hands. "I have to ask the question and I have to do it epically. Or she'll never forgive me. Or worse, she'll cut me off."

Artie chuckled. "Write her a poem or something. Maybe a song. You know how Rachel feels about songs."

"Yeah, but she's written some _amazing_ songs herself. There's no way I could match up to her. And she won't be able to stop herself from, like, critiquing me or something. And that won't be good for our relationship."

"Trust me, bro. Write something from the heart. She'll love it."

Finn gave him a dirty look and headed onto the field to talk with the team and explain to the coach what had happened.

(He tried writing. He tried _hard_. But when his mom found some of it and asked if he was volunteering as a _Big Brother_ and how old was the adorable child who wrote the poetry, he ripped it into a couple thousand pieces and threw it out.)

* * *

"Kurt?" Finn called as he knocked on his brother's bedroom door. "You got a minute?"

"For you, dear brother, I have five," Kurt responded airily.

"Cool," Finn said slowly. "So," he entered Kurt's room cautiously, his eyes focused on the creepy fur blanket his brother had on his bed. "So you and Rachel are tight, right?"

"If you're referring to the fact that she, Mercedes and I are the best of friends, then yes, Finn, we are 'tight'. But you know that. What is it you want from me?"

"I need to ask Rachel to prom."

"You haven't asked her yet?" the smaller boy screeched out. "Finn Hudson, you must ask her immediately. Chocolates, flowers, _anything_. Are you out of your _mind_? Our Rachel is a planner. She needs to plan. And prom is seven weeks away. Do you know what she's got to do to prepare for this?" he stood and began pacing. "This is bad, Finn. Very bad. You need to leave right now. Maybe some jewelry. And you're gonna have to watch some Barbra. And Liza. And I would settle in for a viewing of RENT with a detailed account as to why the Broadway production was far superior."

"Dude. Chill."

"Finn, I'm serious. This is _serious_," Kurt said, eyes wide, as he gripped his brother's shoulders and got into his face. "Your relationship is hanging by a _thread_," he added hysterically.

Finn's eyes grew wide. "Did she say something?" he asked frantically, his own hands moving up to grip Kurt's collar.

Kurt disentangled himself and stood up, hands moving to his hips. "Huh. You know what? I don't think she has."

Finn stared at his brother for a moment before standing and walking out of the room. "Thanks for nothing!" he called over his shoulder.

"You're welcome!" Kurt replied absently as he moved back over to his vanity.

* * *

"I'm tanking, dude," Finn said as he and Puck sat on the end of his bed, eagerly pressing on the buttons of their X-box controllers. "I got nothin'."

"Should you be out of your sling?"

"What are you, my mother?" Finn asked, ignoring the twinge as he got a little too into shooting at their enemies.

"Fuck you. I'm like, concerned and shit. We need you for the post-season. And, you know, Nationals or whatever."

Finn smirked. "Right."

"So, you're a complete failure at thinking of a way to ask your girl to that lame-ass dance?" Puck asked as he violently shot one of the computer players. "We should get those headsets and hook up with Wheels and Jackie Chan on this thing," he added absently before whispering "die, fucker" at the screen.

"I'm sunk, dude. For real. I tried Sam's idea with the different language. That didn't work. I tried Mike's idea of dancing and that landed me in a fucking sling. Artie said to write poetry and mom found it and thought it was written by some kindergartner or something so I threw that shit out. Kurt was an absolute was of time. I mean, I'm at the end of my rope here. What the hell am I going to do?"

"Fuck her into submission."

Finn actually thought about that suggestion a little longer than he should have.

"Can't, man. She totally keeps her head after sex."

"Then you're not doin' your job right, dude," Puck laughed as he nudged his friend with his shoulder. "Kidding. Just … I don't know. I really have no advice on how to ask a girl to prom. Shit, I'm having the same problem 'cept the chick I wanna take ain't my girlfriend and she don't go here."

"You met a girl?" Finn asked with a little grin.

"Well, I, uh, _know_ her mom. And, you know, I went for a visit and her mom wasn't there but, you know, she was. And, uh, we kinda …"

"You fucked the daughter of one of the cougars you bang?" Finn laughed. "Oh my God!" he continued, wracking guffaws coming out as he slapped his thigh in appreciation. "Dude. You're totally _the man_," he snickered.

"Shut the fuck up. I didn't fucking plan it. She was just a fucking bitch and I wanted to shut her the fuck up."

"Who was it?"

"Fuck you, dude. I ain't tellin'."

"Mrs. Caterman?"

"Fuck no. Her daughter's, like, fifteen." When Finn arched a brow, Puck clarified, "and I ain't no pedophile."

"Mrs. Mulligan?"

"She has a son," Puck deadpanned.

"Shit. I thought Ryan was a girl."

"You're a fucking idiot. And no. And I'm not telling you. It's …" he rubbed his hand over his mohawk. "It's not like she'd say yes anyway."

Finn smirked. "Haven't seen you this messed up since Lauren."

"Whatever, dude. We're talking about you and you're complete inability to ask your fucking girlfriend to prom. I say fuck it. Ask her to _skip it _and get down in the hotel room for, like, four hours or however long it's supposed to last."

Finn paused the game and turned to his best friend, a disbelieving expression on his face. "Okay. Stop trying to help," he said seriously. "Just play the game and keep your mouth shut."

"Thank God," Puck whispered. "All this feelings shit made me think I was growing a vagina."

Finn reached over and punched him in the crotch. "Feel that?"

"Fuck you, douchebag," Puck squeaked and wheezed as he curled into himself and fell off the bed.

* * *

"Hey, pal," Burt said as he walked into the kitchen and headed to the refrigerator. He pulled out a beer and looked to his step-son. "You look kinda down. What's up?"

"It's Rachel," Finn admitted as he pulled at the wrapper of his Gatorade.

"Ahh. Girl trouble. You friend Puckerman didn't …?"

"Nah," Finn said as he shook his head. "That's done. They just have this weird not-really-flirting-but-not-fighting thing," he shrugged. "It's …" he sighed. "Did you ever ask a girl to the prom?"

"Sure," Burt answered with a grin as he moved to sit across from Finn at the table. "You haven't asked Rachel yet?"

"I just don't know how," the young man admitted sheepishly. "I mean, Rachel's a real special girl. And she deserves something _epic_. Something romantic and unlike any way any other girl's gonna be asked and I wanna be the guy that can make her feel that special, you know?"

"You don't think she feels special already?" Burt asked. "I mean, you two kids. You look at each other like … I can't imagine … I mean, I _can_ but … being so sure of how in love you are, at your age, it's something, Finn; it's something special. And maybe it's all you need. Just knowing how in love you are."

"It's Rachel," he deadpanned. "She's gonna want over the top."

"Don't be so sure about that," Burt said with a grin as he stood up. He tipped his beer at his step-son and smiled. "Just be yourself, kiddo. It'll all work out like it should."

"Thanks, Burt," Finn responded with a smile before gulping his Gatorade. "Wanna watch the game?"

"Sure," Burt chuckled as he motioned for Finn to follow him into the living room.

_Be myself_, he thought. _Yeah. I can do that_.

* * *

"Finn!" Rachel shouted as she approached him in the hallway the next day at school. "I'm so glad I ran into you!"She wrapped her arms around him tightly, giving a little squeeze before she let go.. "I - I need to talk to you about something. About prom. See, I've gotten the limousine and the boutonniere and I set up a meeting with you and my florist so you can pick out my corsage. I got my dress and found a matching vest and bowtie for you and made an appointment with daddy's tailor for you to have your suit adjusted. I've booked the hotel room and planned everything and I realized I'd neglected to ask you!" Tears welled in her eyes. "I'm so sorry, Finn!" she repeated sadly. "I didn't ask your opinion on anything and I feel terrible! I should cancel everything and then we can plan it together. I can do that. I won't mind. I promise."

"Wait. Hold on. You need to slow down, babe. What are you talking about? I only got, like, every fifth word."

"_Prom_," she emphasized. "Since you confirmed on Valentine's Day that you wish to share the limo with Kurt and I insisted that Mercedes had to come as well, things have just taken off. I admit I should have started planning back last year when you asked me the first time but I figured I would have fun all summer and then with everything that happened in the beginning of this year, when Valentine's rolled around I knew I had to get the ball rolling or nothing good would be left!"

"Last year," he whispered. "Valentine's Day." His eyes widened as he realized what this meant. He had _already asked her_ and he was freaking out over _nothing_.

He laughed loudly and wrapped her up in his arm (_fucking sling_). "I love _everything_," he told her. "What color is your dress?"

"Red," she answered.

"Perfect," he responded with a smile. "You've really outdone yourself, Rachel. I can't wait for prom. It sounds like you did a great job planning."

"Really?" she asked with a grin as she placed her chin on his chest and looked up into his eyes. "It's all really okay with you?"

"Better than okay," he responded as he leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. "Amazing."

"Thank you," Rachel whispered with a smile. "And thanks for not being mad that I took over."

He smiled. "Babe, it's awesome how into it you are. And you know how much I love it when you take charge," he added in a low voice.

"Save it for Saturday night," she giggled as she stepped back and took his hand.

"Dad and Daddy are going to Chicago for the weekend. Friday night I'm having a sleepover with Kurt and Mercedes. And Saturday night," she added with a grin and a squeeze to his hand, "I'm having a sleepover with you."

Finn's heart rate sped up and he smiled widely. So not only was he off the hook for prom (damn, he was better than he thought he was) but he was going to get to spend the night with his super hot girlfriend this weekend.

He was _so_ the man.

* * *

To my fellow Pink Lady, **tjcrowfoot**, thanks for all of your help.

And my Fildos, thanks for the input.

And **Daniel** – WRITE!

_When we go out a night (oh-h oh)  
And stars are shining bright (oh-h, oh)  
Up in the skies above  
Or at the high school dance  
Where you can __find romance__ maybe it might be lo-uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uve_

_(Cast of Grease)_


	13. No Air

Rachel ran into the emergency room, her heart in her throat and beating a frantic staccato against the fist she was clenching her shirt in.

_Malfunction_, Ralph said. _Unconscious._

_Hospital_.

_Critical_.

It was the first time she ever stopped in the middle of rehearsal to answer her phone. She would never again ignore a ring. Not if she was in class or on stage. If she heard it, she would answer.

Because she never knew when it would be the station on the other end telling her that her fiancée had passed out in a burning building because his oxygen tank had malfunctioned and he was unable to breath.

_Tell me how I'm supposed to breathe with no air._

The words ran through her mind on an endless loop. They started as soon as she hung up with Ralph and continued through the entire cab ride to Kings County Hospital Center.

How was he supposed to breathe with no air?

How was _she_ supposed to breathe with no air?

"Excuse me," she breathed out, not even knowing she had been holding her breath. "My name's Rachel Hudson. Berry! Rachel Berry. Not Hudson yet. But it will be soon. My name. Rachel Hudson, I mean. But right now it's Rachel Berry and I'm here to see Finn Hudson. He's my husband. Or not yet. But soon. We're engaged. But I'm here to see him. He was brought in a little while ago. He's a fireman in Brooklyn. Here. Here in Brooklyn," she said quickly, shaking hands gripping the edge of the counter by the nurses' station tightly. "We're engaged. And I'm his medical contact and his only family in New York. Where is he? Is he conscious? Is he dead?" she gasped. She leaned in closer, eyes wide and shining with tears. "Please tell me he's not dead."

The nurse looked up from her computer screen and murmured "hold on" into the phone before asking Rachel, "Can I help you with something, miss?"

"Finn Hudson?" she asked again, chest heaving.

The nurse glances at the dry erase board and said, "Four C" and Rachel was off like a shot.

She had to get to him. She had to see that he was okay. Or at least alive.

* * *

"_I got it," Finn called as he pulled his oxygen mask over his face. "Gunner, you with me?"_

"_On your six, Sinatra," Mike called as he took the hose next to Finn's. "I'll give ya a fifteen count and then come in. You goin' left or right?"_

"_Left," Finn responded decisively._

"_On your count."_

"_I'm goin'," Finn said after a brief pause. "Three, two …" he kicked the door in and saw more than heard the wood splinter as it detached from its hinges. "One," he concluded before bursting in and immediately cutting to the left._

_The flames were climbing the walls, licking at the ceiling already and he knew this was going to be a big one. He would have to text Rachel as soon as he got back to the station to let her know he was okay._

_She worried about him a lot._

* * *

"Michael!" Rachel cried out as she turned the corner to see Finn's shift-mate and friend sitting in a cold, hard metal chair outside of room Four C. "What happened?" she asked as she ran to him and throw her arms around his waist.

"Don't know, kid," he said softly as he brought his hands up to smooth over her hair. "He was fine one minute then gasping for air the next. And he couldn't get the mask off, which is a good thing, to be honest, because of how thick the smoke was. But I couldn't see him to get to him on time before he ran out of air. I got there as quick as I could, Rach, I swear. He was only without for maybe ninety seconds before I reached him. I think," he said thickly, his scratchy voice begging her to believe him. "I really tried."

"I believe you," she whispered into his chest. She squeezed him tightly before pulling back and stepping out of his embrace. "Where's everyone else?"

"Ralph and the doctor are in there with Finn. They said no one else could be in there," Mike replied apologetically. "They're running some kind of test to see exactly how much smoke is in his lungs." He paused and looked anywhere but at the small brunette in front of him before saying softly, "It wasn't just the oxygen, though, Rach. It …" He took a deep, fortifying breath. "Just before I got there a beam came down on him." He tried not to notice her gasp of horror. "I don't think he felt it because he was already down but … uhhh … I heard there maybe be some pretty bad damage. Like a collapsed lung or something."

* * *

_Finn tried to take a deep breath and frowned when he found it difficult. "The hell?" he muttered as he reached behind him and knocked his tank before aiming his hose towards the ceiling. The flames had already spread up there and were making their way across the thick wooden beams._

_He tried to breathe in again and choked._

"_Shit. Gunner," he gasped. "Gunner my …"He coughed. "I can't …"_

"_I can barely hear you over here," Mike answered back loudly. "Flames got a dresser or something and it's loud as shit with the water. What'd ya say?"_

"_I …" he gasped again as he dropped the house and reached for his mask. "I can't." His fingers pulled frantically at the straps keeping the mask suctioned to his face but they wouldn't budge. He reached for the tank but his arms felt like jelly and his vision was blurring._

"_Sinatra?"_

"_Can't …" he choked out. "I can't …"_

_His arms flailed in a last ditch attempt to both correct his tank and remove his mask but both were futile as his vision swam and he gasped once more before falling to the ground. "Mike …" he called once more before his eyes rolled back and the darkness took over._

"_Sinatra?" Mike called. "Hey! Hudson! Answer me!"When he was met with silence he changed the channel over and announced that Finn had gone radio silent and he was going to go check it out. When the hose shut down he turned and jogged across the building to see a figure slumped on the floor. His eyes widened as he radioed in that Finn was down. _

_He was less than ten yards away when a beam from the ceiling cracked and dropped on top of Finn's prone form._

"_I need backup! Hudson's down and just got nailed by a burning beam. I need help! Repeat! I need help __now__!"_

* * *

"So I got him out and they brought us here. Cuz I pulled off my mask to try to get him some air after we got the beam off. But he wouldn't take it. When Max got him in the bus he forced it through his nostrils." He paused. "I wish I had better news for you."

Rachel nodded a few times, not bothering to wipe away the tears that were cascading down her cheeks. "So now we wait?"

"Someone should be out soon," he said softly as he helped her sit in the chair he had vacated. "They've been in there for ten minutes or so and Ralph said he'd pop out with news."

She nodded again before clasping her hands together and bringing them to mouth, lips moving rapidly in a silent prayer.

It was moments like these that Mike wished he was religious.

He leaned back against the wall opposite where she was seated and slid down until he was sitting on the floor, knees bent and elbows on top of them, head in his hands. "I feel so helpless. Like I could have done more."

"It's not your fault," Rachel choked out, unashamed of how emotional she was. "If you hadn't gotten there," she added, voice cracked and strained, "I'm certain I would be in the emergency room but in the …" she swallowed thickly, "the morgue."

"He'll be okay," Mike responded strongly. "He's the best we have." He paused. "Do you regret him signing up?"

"No," she whispered honestly in response. "This is what he was born to do." She chuckled wetly. "Though sometimes I _do_ wish he'd been born to be a kindergarten teacher or something far less dangerous. Like a custodial engineer or a drummer – he's a wonderful drummer – or maybe a masseuse. That would be beneficial. Or perhaps a lawyer. Or a doctor. But those can both be dangerous given the proper circumstances," she muttered to herself. "He could have been a paper salesman like those characters on that show about an office. I can never remember the name of it. Or he could have been a good, old-fashioned …." she paused and looked over to Mike. "Was I rambling?"

"A bit," he chuckled. "But it's okay. Casey's the same way," he responded with a smile. "She wishes I had gone into writing."

"I didn't know you write."

"I don't," he responded flatly. "I can barely spell my name let alone be a writer."

She giggled slightly and was about to respond when the door opened and Ralph walked out.

"How is he?" she asked as she stood and wrapped her arms around him.

"He'll be fine," he said immediately and Rachel was glad for it. She knew so many people (Noah) who would lead with the bad and then end with the good. She was glad Ralph knew she needed to be reassured before he gave her the laundry list of injuries he'd received.

"But it's going to be a tough comeback. He's still getting oxygen; his lungs were pretty bad off. He has some broken ribs and a collapsed lung. They've started re-inflating the lung but with the other issues it'll take a little longer than usual."

"Is he conscious?"

"And begging me not to call you and worry you," the older man responded with a grin. "Go on in."

She walked over and pressed a kiss to Mike's forehead before doing the same to Ralph and finally entering room Four C.

"Can I help you, miss?" a man in a white lab coat – she could infer that he was the doctor – asked.

"I'm his fiancée," she answered as she moved over to the bed and took Finn's hand in hers. "How is he?"

"Banged up but I feel confident that, with time, he'll make a full recovery." He turned and looked back at Finn. "But no work for a while. You're going to have to stay home. Rest. Relax. Let this beautiful woman take care of you."

"She always does," Finn whispered harshly as he wiggled his fingers slightly in a call for Rachel to move closer to him.

She smiled wetly and moved over to wrap his large fingers in her smaller ones. "Hey, babe."

He smiled. "Didn't want them to worry you unnecessarily," he pushed out in a scratchy voice.

"I don't think it was unnecessary," she replied gently as she used her free hand to gently push his hair back from his forehead and move it slowly over his head. "You scared me."

"I know," he whispered. "Couldn't help it though."

"I know," she responded as she leaned forward and pressed a kiss against his temple before reaching behind her and pulling a chair closer, never letting go of his hand. "Michael saved you," she told him seriously. "I should reserve season tickets for him and Casey for when I get my first starring role."

"You think they're going to want to see your show more than once?" he asked without thinking. At her arched brow he continued, "I meant why not just get them opening night tickets for _all_ of your shows."

"And an Edible Arrangements," she decided with a nod. "They're delicious and nutritious."

"Whatever you want, babe," he responded tiredly. "Can I sleep now?"

Rachel looked up to the doctor – she should really find out his name – and at his nod she stood up and pressed her lips gently against his before whispering, "Yes, baby. Sleep now. I'll be here when you wake up."

"Sorry I worried you," he responded, his eyelids drooping.

"It's okay," she answered softly.

"Love you," he breathed out.

"I love you too, Finn Hudson," she told him seriously, not caring that he was already asleep. "And I'll be here when you wake up."

The only response was the doctor telling her they'd be moving him upstairs in a few hours and a nurse would be in with all of the paperwork Rachel would have to fill out.

When the doctor left the room she squeezed Finn's hand and leaned forward so her head was resting on the mattress.

She was so relieved that he was going to be okay that she let the song lyrics from so long ago filter through her mind one more time before she slipped into an emotionally exhausted sleep.

_Tell me how I'm supposed to breathe with no air_.

.**xo**.

Inspiration literally struck at 11:56 p.m. It's 1:20 a.m. now.

Can't say I don't feed my muse when it's hungry.

HUGE thanks to **egyouppt** and **ladidai**.


	14. A Little Tied Up

Finn was in a phenomenal mood. He rarely ever got a day off in the middle of a shift – usually it was when he got hurt. But not this time. Shawn from B rotation needed to switch days and Ralph said it would be okay and so he was going to surprise his wife on a Monday night (when Broadway dark and he knew she would be home) and he had _ideas_.

The Saturday before had been Brittany and Santana's wedding in Boston so they had just come back in on the train yesterday. He had gotten a taxi from the airport to the station and Rachel had gone straight to the theater.

It had been a boring first twenty-four and then Ralph had called him in and asked if he would switch shifts.

He had been only too happy to agree.

See, he and Rachel had crazy hot sex in the coatroom at the up-scale hotel where the Pierce-Lopezes had their reception. _Crazy hot_. Like no-more-panties-where's-her-burette-hold-on-to-the-railing-baby hot.

And he still wanted _more_. Truth be told he always wanted more but it seemed like _she_ wanted more – a lot more – and he was, again, only too happy to provide her with his services.

He was _so_ gonna get lucky tonight.

More than once, he was sure.

But he had bigger ideas than that. See, he knew Rachel loved him in his uniform. And he loved her in her costume. And he sort of wondered if that love for other outfits would cross over into possible role play.

He knew exactly who could help him out with that.

He entered the police station with a broad smile and gestures and words of hello for his friends and fellow City employees. He wandered up to the duty desk and leaned against it with a grin. "Well hello there, cutie," he said to the back of an officer.

"Hey, baby," O'Callahan said as he spun the chair around and offered a lascivious look to his friend. "You got fries to go with that shake?"

"The fuck you doin' on desk duty, O?" Finn responded as he reached over the desk and shook his friend's hand. "I thought you were on Flatbush this week."

"I drew some fire this weekend and Brenda freaked out and embarrassed me in front of the guys so Allen took the car and I got the desk," the officer bitched as he grabbed his coffee and took a sip. "What're you doin' in my little corner of heaven?"

Finn didn't answer because his wandering eye caught sight of something shiny and interesting. Something that could be fun. Something that would really go along with his ideas for his "Wild Night of Fun Sexing with My Wonderful, Hot, Sexy, Amazing, Awesome-in-Bed Wife" night.

"Danny? Can I borrow those?" Finn asked as he pointed to his friend's standard issue handcuffs.

"Do I wanna know why?"

Finn stared at his friend, face blank. "I really don't think you do."

Danny stared back. "Is it for something kinky with Rachel?"

Finn licked his lips and averted his eyes for a moment before turning back to his friend and saying evenly, "It is."

"Who's gonna be wearing them?"

"The plan is for her but she can be _very_ persuasive …"

Danny looked down at his cuffs then back up to Finn. "Lemme see if I can find a spare pair," Danny said as he stood and patted his snoozing partner on the shoulder before slipping out from behind the desk and heading for the back.

"Make sure you give me the keys too!" he yelled to Danny's back, drawing the attention of everyone in the area. "Hey, guys," he added with an embarrassed nod as he leaned against the desk, eyes glued to the ceiling.

He was really hoping Danny had a spare pair of cuffs. He really, really wanted to role-play with his wife.

He could be the cop and she could be the hooker.

His eyes narrowed and his brow furrowed. He should probably think of a different role for her. She probably wouldn't appreciate playing the role of a prostitute. (Though he was pretty sure she was planning to audition for Chicago and those outfits _looked_ like they belonged to prostitutes so maybe she wouldn't hate it so much.)

Danny returned a few minutes later with a brown paper bag. "Here," he said shortly as he thrust it into Finn's hands. "Take 'em."

"A brown bag, dude? Really? Are we teenagers sneakin' some Jack or somethin'?"

"You wanna cuff your chick to the bed that's on you. I don't wanna even _think_ about it. And they were set to be recycled anyway, so I never, _ever_ wanna see 'em again. You got me?"

"Sure. Right. You got it," Finn nodded enthusiastically as he stuffed the bag into his ever-present backpack. His eyes shifted from side to side before he leaned in and whispered, "Got any extra uniforms in my size?"

"Get the fuck out of here, Sinatra," Danny growled as he shoved his friend and retook his position behind the desk. "There's a sex shop over on East 53rd."

Finn chuckled loudly, hand slapping on the countertop before he turned away, a delightfully shouted, "How do _you_ know where Come Again is?"

He immediately shut up when he heard Danny call back, "Never said the name!"

Motherfucker.

Whatever.

He checked his watch and realized that Rachel was probably at the studio working with the kids' workshop. She'd been spending more and more time with the younger children and he was starting to get the sense that she wanted a baby.

He did too. Really, he did. But practicing was so _fun_.

He took a cab home – he never really liked the subway but would never admit it to Rachel because she rode the damn thing like it was a ride at Disney World sometimes – and hurried upstairs.

He was glad to have the alone time to get ready. He had to plan this just right or he would piss her off and then not only would he not get kinky handcuff sex but he wouldn't be getting _any_ sex. And that was simply unacceptable.

He needed sex with his super-sexy, always-horny, amazing-in-bed, always-willing-to-try-anything-once wife. Needed it like air.

So, yeah. He had to make this good. Because while his wife was game for just about anything, he was pretty sure it would take some time to convince her to let him strap a pair of real handcuffs on her.

So he set the mood. A few candles. He sprayed his Axe in the kitchen (because fuck using a bed, he wants table sex and he wants it _now_) because she likes the way he smells. He dimmed the lights and pulled off his shirt. Then his shoes and socks. He thought about taking off his boxers too but there's always that teeny-tiny chance that she wouldn't be alone when she got home – since Kenz and Puck moved to New York the two women were basically inseparable and he knew she didn't like being alone in the apartment if she didn't need to be – and he didn't want to scare any unexpected (and unwanted) visitors.

He glanced at the clock and smiled. Should only be a few more minutes before she got home and then the sexy times could begin.

He narrowed his eyes and decided he would just go for broke from the get-go. He shuffled over to his backpack, pulled out the bag with the cuffs and dumped the restraints and key on the kitchen table.

He smirked proudly to himself before moving back to the counter and sliding to sit on it.

Any minute now she would be home and he would get to handcuff her to the table and do whatever he wanted.

If she was game.

(He was pretty sure she would be.)

So ten minutes later when she walked in the door, he sat in silence. It was a clear view into the kitchen and he knew as soon as she turned in that direction she would see him. And she would be surprised and excited and the _other_ kind of excited and they would have some wicked awesome sex.

He paused briefly to wonder if he needed some kind of sex therapy.

Nymphos Anonymous or whatever.

He wasn't disappointed in her reaction. He knew she wouldn't scream and squeal. She did exactly as he expected her to. She slowly put her keys into the little ceramic bowl she made him keep on the stupid desk she forced him to put by the front door, slide her sweater from her arms and arched a brow, a small smile sliding across her face.

"What're you doing home?" she asked as she sort-of slid into the kitchen, the smile still present. "I thought you wouldn't be home until Thursday morning." Her eyes caught on the cuffs and she ticked a brow at them before gliding smoothly into his arms. "How long have you been standing there in your underwear?"

"Doesn't matter," Finn murmured as he gripped her ass and pulled her tightly against him. "What matters is how long it's going to take me to get you out of yours."

"That was a terrible line," she giggled but immediately quieted as he thrust his hips into her stomach.

"Doesn't matter," he whispered hotly against her ear, hands now massaging her rear. "Get out of your clothes so I can fuck you on the table."

Rachel stared into his eyes for a moment before pulling him down into a bruising kiss. One of her hands carded through his thick hair while the other traveled down between their bodies to massage him through his boxer shorts.

He was so wrapped up in her that he barely noticed she was slowing down until she had disengaged, leaving him dizzy and wanting more. "Where'ya goin'?" he slurred as he chased her mouth.

"You just wait right here," she murmured against his lips as she pulled away. "I'll be right back."

"But … but …"

"Oh for heavens sakes, Finn. I'll be just a moment," she told him as she took off down the hall towards the bedroom.

He heaved a sigh and dropped himself down onto the bench of their breakfast nook. He had no idea what she was doing and why in the name of all that was holy she thought that whatever is was was more important than having kinky handcuff sex.

He must have let his thoughts wander as his chin sunk to his chest because when he focused again he saw _the heels_. Those awesomely sexy fuck me heels that she wore when she wanted it bad and just couldn't wait.

He was pretty sure if he hadn't married Rachel and you were allowed to marry shoes, he would have married them.

His eyes traveled up her (fish-net stocking covered?) legs and to a tight as sin navy blue pencil skirt, held up at the waist by a belt with a large gold buckle, and up to a light blue, also tight button down shit, buttons gaping at the chest, black bra showing, up, up, up to Rachel's pursed lips, her hair pulled back into a neat bun and a hat on her head.

He jumped back from the table to take in the whole outfit.

She was dressed like a sexy cop.

Ho. Ly. Fuck.

He was so caught up in the sight of her he didn't see her move. He didn't see the slow, sneaky smile cross her face. He didn't see her pick up the handcuffs.

But he sure as hell felt the freezing cold metal slide around his wrist. And he heard the snicking of the notches as they grew tighter around his wrist.

_Oh fuck_.

"Rach? Whatcha doin'?"

"You have the right to remain silent," she purred. "But you may not have the ability." She paused and wrinkled her nose. "No?"

He shook his head, seemingly forgetting that his right hand was ensnared in a cuff. "Nah, babe. Not your best. Wanna try again?"

"No, no," she said seriously. "When an actor improvs a line that doesn't quite fit the show must go on." She lowered her eyelids and whispered, "And go on we shall."

"Not any better."

"Do you want to have sex with me or not?"

"Yes, officer," he responded immediately.

"That's Officer Hudson to you, bad boy."

"Rach," he chuckled. "I think you should give up on the play-acting. Maybe if you just take the handcuffs off …"

She shook her head slowly and advanced on him, backing him up until he reached the small dining room and fell unceremoniously back into a chair. With ninja-like grace that could only be attributed to her friendship with Mike Chang, she was around his back and cuffing his other hand.

He smirked to himself when she turned her back for a moment and tried to stand, only to find her magic ninja skills involved somehow weaving the cuffs through the slats in the chair before connecting them to his other wrist.

He was so fucked. In both the good and probably the bad way. Because all this boiled down to one thing: he wouldn't be able to touch her while she did unmentionable things to his body.

Awesome as hell, but really, really frustrating.

"Baby?" he asked. "Why am I the one cuffed to the chair?"

"Because I'm the one with the uniform," she said with a grin before waltzing over and sliding onto his lap. "And you know how much I like to be in charge," she added with a husky whisper into his ear.

"Right," he gulped. "Where exactly did you get that?" he added as he attempted to bring his hands up to grasp her hips, momentarily forgetting that he was a little tied up.

"It's just a few different things I had lying around," she told him as she brought her lips and tongue to his neck. "Why? Do you like it?"

"It's really hot, baby," he said appreciatively as his eyes ran up and down her torso. "But I kinda like the idea of it being on the floor now."

She shook her head and slid from him. "Now, Hudson," she said with lowered eyes. "You know I can get in a lot of trouble with my bosses if they find out I'm even talking to you. We can't let them know about our _deal_."

"D-deal?" he gulped as he watched her move her hands up under her skirt. "What …" he gulped, eyes locked on the bottom of the skirt, "what deal is that?"

"Shh," she said as she shook her head and tsk-ed at him. "You know we mustn't speak of it aloud …"

"Rach …"

"Officer Hudson, to you!" she barked as she pulled her panties and the stocking down her legs, stepping out of her shoes as she reached the bottom. "Now I would suggest you remove your undergarments but I can see you're a little tied up at the moment. Not matter," she continued as she stepped closer to him and palmed his cock through the cotton. "I don't mind helping you out."

"Fuck, Rach," he breathed as his eyes shut and his head rolled back. "This is so hot."

"If you keep talking I'm going to gag you," she said authoritatively as she swiftly pulled his boxers down to his knees, effectively trapping his legs. She smirked slightly and moved to straddle his lap. "And not in a fun way."

"Rachel," he whispered out as she slowly rubbed herself against his aching member. "I need to touch you."

She shook her head slowly, eyes locked on his, as she positioned herself to sink down onto him.

"Wait!" he cried out as he felt himself slip into her wet heat. "Wait! Rach, don't!"

"What?" she asked with wide eyes and she dug her fingernails into his shoulders to keep herself from losing her balance. "What's wrong?"

He surged up and pressed his lips against hers, a breathless whisper of "I love you" escaping his lips as he thrust his hips up and slid into her.

"You're amazing," she breathed out as she loosened her grip on his shoulders and slid down into his lap, her hips rising and falling in a rapid rhythm.

He always, always said he loved her before he slid home. It didn't matter whether it was fast, heated and simple _fucking_ or slow, sensual and more _making love_ than anything. He'd stop her or himself and breathe out or whisper or scream, on one or two occasions, that he loved her.

And that never failed to work her up even more.

This time was no different. She scratched and clutched and clawed at his bare shoulders and chest as her hips moved up and down in a frantic pace, the joining of their flesh in perfect synch with the racing beat of his heart.

"Finn," she panted. "Finn, are you close?"

"One day you're going to stop asking me that question," he said hoarsely as he squeezed his eyes shut and clenched his hand-cuffed fists.

"Not until the answer changes," she whispered into his ear before nipping gently at the lobe and kind of twisting her hips in a way that didn't even give him a chance to think of controlling himself as he released into her.

His release triggered her own and she certainly was not quiet about it, screaming his name loudly as her nails bit into his scratched-up flesh.

"Heavens," she breathed out as she rested her sweaty forehead against his. "That was amazing."

He hummed in agreement and winced slightly as she pulled up from him. "Where ya goin'?" he slurred, eyes shut and breath still being panted out.

"Shower," she muttered as she shuffled out of the kitchen and down the tiny hall to the bathroom.

"Awesome idea, baby. I'll be there in a minute," he responded as he rolled his head from side to side, eyes still shut. He heard the water turn on and slowly felt himself become aroused again. Hell, when Rachel was around he was in a constant state of nothing less than semi-hardness. But she was home and he was home and she was naked and he was naked and there was really only one thing to do about it.

He grinned to himself and started to stand only to have his body jerked back into the seat. He furrowed his brow with a frown and attempted again ending in the same result.

He moved his hand to scratch at his head but it moved mere centimeters before being pulled back into place.

And then he remembered …

… the handcuffs!

"Rach?" he called just as he heard the shower kick in and her belting out something from Thoroughly Modern Millie as she no doubt danced in place in their small shower. "Rachel!"

He glanced to the table and saw the keys. He wasn't sure how he would get them into his hands but he figured he could work on that after he got them off the table.

He scooted the chair forward and caught it on that crappy edge of linoleum that not even Crazy Glue could keep down and ended up sprawled on the cold floor, boxers at his knees, handcuffed to the chair, and completely merciless.

And then he heard the door open and Puck's voice call out, "Berry! I need you to watch Ben for a bit! I got called in to work!"

He kinda wished Shawn would take a long walk off a short pier or something right now.

Sure, the sex was amazing, as always, but Puck and Ben were about to catch him in the most compromising position he'd ever been in.

He was pretty much fucked.

There had to be some way he could blame this whole thing on Rachel. He just wasn't sure he'd think of it before Puck made it into the kitchen.

He was right when he heard his so-called best friend's bark of laughter.

He really fucking kinda wished he was still at work.

* * *

A/N: For _**Amy**_. Who wanted it. And I like to give her what she wants. Or she becomes cranky. LMAO. Sorry it took so long for this. I was more blocked than … you know what? You can go ahead and inset your own cockblock or constipation joke here. I'll leave it up to you.

Thanks to the Fildos, of course, for the feedback and encouragement and love! Next stop: Aluminum Chefs with **tjcrowfoot**.


	15. Calendar of Heroes

He stared at the other members of his department with abject terror. There was no way they were suggesting what he thought they were. His eyes scanned the crowd and landed on Ralph.

"Tell me at least _you're_ against this," he said pleadingly.

"Sorry, kid," the older man laughed. "Imagine the money coming in if you're Mr. August."

"Why August?" Finn asked in confusion.

"Hottest month of the year," Regina chuckled.

"Are you all forgetting who my wife is? Rachel Hudson? Darling of the Off-Broadway smash hit _Sweeney Todd_?"

"She's the shit, dude," Mike agreed. "But what's she got to do with you doin' it?"

"Let me tell you a little bit about my wife. I love her. She loves me. We're both _very_ confident in that fact. But she _hates_ it when I get any kind of attention. I'll just go ahead and blame Quinn Fabray for that. But regardless, Rachel has this completely irrational fear that I'm going to somehow meet someone prettier than her – _impossible_ – and fall in love and leave her. She doesn't say it out loud, but I know it's true."

"All I'm hearing is that your girl knows how hot you are and you don't wanna get her insecure by taking your shirt off for all of New York – hell, the _world_ with your fine behind – to see," Alex laughed. "Seriously, Sinatra. It's for a good cause. And Rachel's big on the charity stuff, isn't she?"

"When it's got nothing to do with one of us being practically naked!"

Regina sighed. "Finn, seriously. Talk to her about it. They don't need your answer today. But just think about it. It's great for the company, great for you and one helluva charity."

Finn glanced around at their expectant faces and sighed. "_Fine_," he whined. "But if I get kicked to the couch this whole weekend because of you guys, I'mma be really pissed."

"Whatever, Sinatra. She's gonna love the idea!" Alex called to Finn's retreating back.

* * *

"Oh, Finn, I _love_ the idea!" Rachel said as he sat on the couch in her dressing room. She was putting in her earrings and trying to fasten on the charm bracelet Kurt had sent her for some anniversary he made up in his head. "Think about the amazing response the calendar will get if such a young, handsome fireman were featured!"

"But I'd have to take my shirt off," he said uncertainly. "And-and people would be taking pictures of me. With my shirt off. And then printing them. For people to buy. It'd be weird."

"Do you think it's weird when people look at me when I'm in my Mrs. Lovett costume?"

"It's different, babe. First, you look kinda creepy hot in that and second, you don't ever take your clothes off," he answered. "But, I mean, they want me to _take off my shirt_. It's _weird_."

"I personally think it's flattering," she shrugged. "It means you've been nominated and apparently are considered one of the most attractive members of the FDNY." She turned and walked over to him, a bright smile on her face. "Which you_ are_, of course. But ultimately," she added as she climbed onto his lap and pressed a kiss to his lips, "it's your decision." She kissed him one more time before hopping off of him and heading to the door. "Now c'mon. Kenz and Noah are probably waiting for us at _Dive_."

"Who's got Ben?" he asked as he hauled himself off the couch and followed her.

"Probably that girl they usually have babysit. Carla? She's practically a baby whisperer or something."

Finn just laughed and wrapped his arms around her from behind. "We can do that, you know."

"Babysit Ben?" she asked with a grin as she put her hands over his on her stomach.

"Have a baby," he whispered in return, a grin crossing his face as well.

* * *

"So Finn wants to start thinking about having a baby," Rachel told Kenz as the two of them sat at the bar waiting for their drinks.

"And you?"

Rachel shrugged. "We've been married a little over a year and, you know, of _course_ I want to have children with him. But I just got my break," she said honestly. "I'm still Off-Broadway. There's no guarantee that after I have a baby I'll be able to come back."

"So wait," the other woman said nonchalantly.

Rachel smiled at the bartender and grabbed her Cosmo and Finn's beer before saying, "I don't think I want to."

"Then don't," Kenz laughed and nudged Rachel with her hip. "Well, maybe wait until you get _home_."

"Makenzy!" Rachel laughed. "You're as vulgar as Noah is!"

"You love it!"

"Sadly enough, I do," the smaller brunette responded.

They arrived back at the booth, the girls climbing back onto their stools. Puck and Finn were leaning in close together and shouting over the heavy drum beat coming from the live band.

"It's just weird, dude! They want me to take off my shirt!"

"Yeah, I think you shouldn't do it! No one wants to see your man-boobs!"

"Noah!" Rachel cried as she reached out to smack him. "That's so rude!"

"Please," he rolled his eyes as the drumming faded and the vocalist thanked the crowd and told them they'd be back. "How in the hell did he even get up for this. You can't tell me you think Finnocence is one of the hottest firemen in the city."

"I think Finn's _the_ hottest_ man_ in New York."

"Hotter than Kyle Dean Massey?" Puck asked with a wicked grin and arched brow.

"Shut it, Puckerman," she replied with a huff and a pout. She looked to Finn. "_Of course_ you're more attractive than Kyle," she told him when he frowned at her.

Puck started laughing and didn't stop until his wife slugged him in the arm. "The hell do you even know who Kyle Dean Massey _is_?"

His eyes grew wide as he started at his wife before darting his gaze to Rachel and back. "Holy fuck, baby, she brainwashed me!"

The table burst into loud chuckles and Puck slammed his head down onto the table. He might as well just hand his balls (in a completely platonic and unromantic way) to Rachel and be done with it. He _really_ needed to stop hanging out with her.

And talking to Hummel. That little fucker was probably just as responsible.

* * *

"So," Rachel said as she removed her jewelry and placed it in the hand-carved box that Finn had made back in senior year of high school. "You give it any more thought?"

"A little," he sighed out as he reclined on the bed in his sleep pants. "I just … you're really the only person who's ever seen me without my shirt on. At least since, you know, the Dark Ages."

"You really need to stop calling the second half of sophomore year the Dark Ages," she laughed as she pulled the clip from her hair and untied the sash on her bathrobe. "What doesn't kill us, right? Didn't that become your motto when you joined the department?"

"Something like that," he answered as he held his arms out for her.

She smiled and slid her bathrobe from her shoulders and flicked off the light before slowly meandering over to the bed and sliding into his embrace. "But back on topic. I think you should seriously consider doing it, Finn. I know not all the money would go to your company but you were just saying the other day that you could really use some new equipment."

"I know. It's just … it's weird. I've never really thought of myself as someone who would be hot enough for that calendar. I mean, Sarah and Regina have that thing up in their bunk. It's like, people would be _looking at me_ for a whole month."

"I think in this house it'll be that month the whole year round," she said with a smile as she leaned up and pressed her lips against his. "I'm all for it."

"It won't make you," he pressed his lips against hers quickly, "uncomfortable?"

"Mmm mmm," she denied as she pushed him gently onto his back and climbed on top of him, her lips teasing his. "For everyone to know my husband is both sexy and a hero? It's really, _really_ arousing."

"How arousing?" he asked with a grin as he thrust his hips against hers.

"Very," she promised as she lowered her lids and slid down his body. She gripped the waist of his pants and started slowly dragging them down. "Care for a demonstration?"

"Ye-eah," he breathed out as she got his pants off and he felt the whisper of her breath against his shaft. "You're really good at giving demonstrations."

"Thank you, Finn," she said softly before hollowing her cheeks and sliding her lips down.

He was somewhat torn. She was so good at going down on him that he felt like just linking his fingers behind his head and letting her go at it. But the other part, the bigger part, the "caveman" part, as she called it, just couldn't let her do this without having his hands buried in her hair.

So he brought his fingers down to tangle in her hair, not guiding her but simply resting, holding, as she worked her magic tongue up and down him in a rhythm they both knew well but always seemed to change. He was sure he was making those stupid sex sounds he seemed to never be able to stop but his wife was _perfect_ and hot and going down on him and telling him without words how fucking hot she thought it would be if he posed for that calendar.

Yeah, like he would need convincing after this.

He let her go for a few minutes, nearly losing it when she swallowed three times in a row, and then gently tugged on her hair until she let him slide from her lips.

He nearly blew it again when she licked her bottom lip and smiled at him.

She looked like she was ready to roll over but he lowered his lids and sat up, his hands sliding up her thighs and under that ridiculously sexy pink nightie she had. His eyes met her and he simply _stared_ until she lifted her arms so he could drag it up and off.

"You're so beautiful," he told her as he pulled her down for a kiss. His tongue traced her lips, even as she opened for him. He kissed and nipped at her bottom lip first, then her top, before wrapping his hand around the back of her neck and holding him to her as he all-but plundered her mouth.

He pulled back with a gasp and had to grip her hips to keep her from moving off of him. "You," he panted. "You on top. Please, Rach. God," he moan as her fingers roamed his chest. "Please ride me."

She smiled at him and nodded. He knew she knew he liked it when she did this. It didn't happen all that often (though, to be honest, sex in the _bed_ didn't happen all that often) and he wasn't going to waste the opportunity now.

"I love you," he whispered as she positioned herself above him. "I love you _so much_," he added when she slid down until their hips were snugly pressed together.

They held still for a long moment, blissful torture for them both. They did this every so often. Rachel said it made them appreciate their bond in a more tangible manner. He thought it was pretty awesome just to feel her fucking scorching _heat_ wrapped around his cock.

Whatever. It was hot.

But hot turned into too hot turned into _fucki'_ and he (in a very manly manner) practically begged her to move. "Baby," he groaned as he gripped her hips and attempted to thrust. "Baby, please move."

She smirked – and fuck that wasn't helping! – and then slowly began to lift her hips.

Looks like she was going to really make him beg tonight.

_Awesome_.

"Rachel, baby, please," he said as his hips rose to meet hers, his fingers almost definitely making marks on her hips. "Faster, baby, please."

She complied, leaning forward so that her breasts were right in his face. What was he to do other than to take a stiff nipple between his lips and suck?

"Finn!" she cried as her rhythm was slightly thrown off. "I …"

"You what?" he mumbles as he switched breasts.

"I'm close."

"Already?" he asked in shock as he pulled back to meet her eyes.

"Honestly, Finn, I've been turned on since you walked into my dressing room and told me they wanted you to do that calendar. Thinking of you in your gear, shirtless and sitting on the truck or holding a hose," she rambled as her pace increased. "It's all too much for me to handle. You're so sexy, Finn," she told him breathily as she leaned down to give him what was admittedly one of the hottest kisses of their lives together. "And just the _thought_ of you doing that had me thinking about _this_ all night. Quite frankly, I'm surprised I didn't drag you into the disgusting bathroom at the club and let you take me against the wall."

Yeah. _That_ wasn't helping either.

He couldn't take it anymore. Her controlling the rhythm was hot and he really, really liked it, but she basically just said she wanted him to fuck her but good and he wasn't one to deny his wife anything.

With a growl, he gripped her hips and rolled them so that he was on top. He maneuvered so that one of her legs was wrapped tightly around his hip and the other was draped over her arm and he just lost control. He pounded into her, his lips sucking on her neck as her nails dug into his back and she cried his name over and over again.

He wanted this to last forever. Making love with – okay, so tonight was pretty much all about fucking – Rachel was his favorite thing to do. And it's not like they ever denied one another when they wanted it, but they were both on the same page and hot and horny and God it felt _good_ to be home and in her arms.

Sometimes he hated his job for taking him away from her for any period of time, but then he would think back to that little boy in Flatbush or the elderly woman in Prospect Park and it would all be worth it again.

But he didn't want to think about that right now.

He lifted his face from her neck to see the sweat dotting her brow and her eyes squeezed shut. With a wicked smirk, he lifted one of the hands that was holding him up (fuck yeah, upper body strength) and moved it down to press his thumb tightly against her clit.

She _screamed_ – fuck, but he loved how vocal she was – and then clamped around him. And that was all it took to send him over the edge as well.

He rode out her orgasm and his own before gently lowering himself to rest his head on her sweating and heaving chest as her legs fell bonelessly to the bed on either side of him. "Holy crap, baby," he panted as he pressed tiny kisses to her chest, "that was amazing."

"Mmmm," she agreed sleepily as she carded her fingers through his hair after he pulled out and settled back against her.

"Rach?" he whispered.

"Yeah?" she responded in the same tone.

"I'm gonna do the calendar."

"Good," she answered with a yawn. "Tomorrow though. Sleep now."

He just really loved his wife.

* * *

"You ready, Lieutenant Hudson?" the PA asked as she adjusted the mic on his uniform.

"Yeah," he grinned. "Hey, thanks," he called to her retreating form. "For helping with the mic and all." He grinned to himself as she blushed and scurried away.

"Charming _and _handsome," Robin Roberts commented as she sat in her chair.

"S'what my wife says," he chuckled. He offered his hand, "Pleasure to meet you, ma'am."

She smiled back and then the countdown began and he was about to be on television. Not for the first time (though all of the others were on the news and he was more in the background doing, y'know, his job), but the first time he would speak.

Rachel had coached him and all, s he knew what some good things to say would be and what things he should steer away from were. Like, he wasn't supposed to lecture on people not having smoke detectors in their apartments or houses. Though he felt really strongly about that.

But today was about the calendar. He hadn't seen it yet, though he was on the cover. And he was August. (He was sure Regina would give him shit for that to no end. She liked to be right. She liked it a lot.)

The little red light came on (which Rachel told him meant the camera was hot, or live) and Robin started talking.

"Well, ladies and gentlemen, it's that time of year again. Today we're unveiling the 2019 FDNY Calendar of Heroes. And with us we have Lieutenant Finn Hudson from Engine 216 in Brooklyn. He also happens to be the cover and Mr. August. Welcome, Lieutenant."

"Thanks, Robin. And call me Finn, please."

"Alright, Finn," she smiled. "You were telling me before we came on the air that you hadn't seen it yet?"

"Yeah. None of us have. They keep the whole thing hush-hush until it's time for the unveiling."

"Nervous?"

"A little. My wife's sitting at home with the TV on just so she can see it. We won't be getting our copies until they officially go on sale in May."

"Well then let's not keep your wife or the rest of the country waiting," she said as she turned to the big screen and pushed a button on her remote.

And there it was. And holy fuck was that what he really looked like? I mean, sure, he knew they did touch-ups and stuff but they couldn't _make_ him look like that if he didn't.

He was shirtless, his suspenders hanging freely as his sides, with his arms crossed and this _grin_ across his face as he leaned against the side of the engine.

"Good thing there's a fireman close by! It's getting hot in here!"

He stared at himself for another second before Robin started flipping through the other photos. He felt his phone vibrate in his pocket and he jumped a little. "Sorry," he grinned. "Cell phone's on vibrate. Probably just my wife."

"Think she likes what she sees?"

"Either that or she's started getting cravings earlier than the books said," he laughed.

Robin smiled in response and then tossed it to him to talk about the FDNY Foundation and all the good that the charity was able to do. He pitched the website and told the country of the recruiting places in the city as well as encouraged them to join their local fire companies. And yes, he did mention how smoke alarms save lives.

The interview wrapped up and he shook hands with Robin and the crew before pulling his phone from his pocket and reading the text with a grin.

He was pretty happy that he had the day off. He was _so_ getting laid when he got home.

Apparently Rachel_ really_ liked what she saw.


	16. When Duty Calls

It was her first opening since having the baby and she was nervous. Not because of the show, not at all. She was nervous because Finn was in the crowd (third row, center) and Sadie was being left in the care of Puck and Makenzy. Not that she didn't trust them – they were raising Ben to be a fairly tolerable child – but it was the first night neither she nor Finn would be with their baby.

So, yeah. She was nervous.

But it was RENT and it was Maureen and it was what she'd been working for since she was three months old. She'd been working tirelessly, thanking Moses for Finn being able to take a delayed paternity leave so she could get back to work.

She knew they would have to start talking about a nanny soon but she hated the idea of someone else raising her baby. She took comfort in the fact that it wouldn't be every day and that Puck usually worked from home if she ever needed him.

But now she was sitting with her fellow cast-mates getting her make-up on and getting ready for the opening. She had been anticipating this moment since the show went into pre-production in February. She had the usual butterflies she got before any performance, but this was huge. She had been exclusively Off-Broadway until this show. This night.

She wished Finn could come backstage and see her before she went on.

He stood nervously outside in line with the rest of the people waiting to go in and see the show. He was with Stuart, who was Amy Ravelle's husband. Amy played the other lesbian. Joan or something.

They were chatting idly, not really having much to say aside from "so our wives have been making out pretty much exclusively with each other for months". Not really though. Not for Finn. Rachel always enjoyed their quiet time together before bed and in the morning.

Really, _really_ enjoyed it.

His hands were stuffed into his pockets as they talked about the Mets' chances at winning the East (none) and how much of a little bitch the new coach for the Jets was acting. He mentioned Puck's job as a scout for the Knicks and they also chatted about that for a while, but he wasn't much of a basketball fan, so that was just a lot of "ahh"s and "uh huh"s from him.

_Joanne_ was the other lesbian!

When the ushers started coming down, he pulled his ticket from his pocket and took a deep breath. Sure, he'd been to opening nights before. But never on Broadway. The Opening Nights he used to go to were in shitty little theaters. But not anymore. Rachel Hudson had made it. (And the marquee outside with her name on it proved it.)

He reached down to pat his beeper (yeah, they still had them in the FDNY) and make sure it was on properly. He's taken the night off, switched shifts with Mike, but was told he had to keep his beeper on him "for extreme emergencies".

He was pretty sure Rachel would be pissed if he had an "extreme emergency".

He and Stuart walked side-by-side into the theater and took their seats, shaking hands with some of the other significant others of the cast. He went through a complicated handshake with Heather Witts, wife of the dude that was playing the guy Rachel dumped for the other lesbian – _Joanne_ – and chuckled at the end, giving her a hug. This was their second show together, Alex having started the Off-Broadway thing around the same time as Rachel. They had their first Off-Broadway show together.

He looked through the Playbill, not reading but trying to look like he wasn't just flipping to Rachel's dedication. (Which he totally was.)

She took a deep breath and smiled into the mirror, psyching herself up for the show. Usually she didn't need this but tonight she did because she was nervous. Yes, that's right. Rachel Hudson was nervous about a show.

But this was huge. She'd talked about being on Broadway her entire life. Her first word was Patti. She'd never wanted anything more in her life than to be on Broadway. (Finn, of course, was a very close second.) And now here she was, fifteen minutes from curtain, her stomach swirling, her head rushing and tears stinging the back of her eyes.

She was trying really hard not to hyperventilate.

She smiled as widely as she could when Amy came over and wrapped her in a hug from behind, pressing their cheeks together and smiling. "Welcome to Broadway, baby," she said with a wink before heading off to finish getting ready.

_Broadway_.

She grinned to herself, that not-yet-but-soon-to-be famous Rachel Hudson (formerly Berry) grin and stood up, nodding to herself in the mirror.

She was ready for this. She was ready to go out on stage and _be_ Maureen and show all the naysayers that she was _Rachel Freaking Hudson_ and she _made it_.

Take _that_, Quinn Fabray. (Well, Quinn Fabray in high school. Quinn was actually not a horrendous bitch anymore now that there were little to no social pressures dictating how she act towards others.)

When one of the stage hands popped his head in to say places, she nodded proudly and headed for the door.

The lights started blinking and he grinned, shifting in his seat to sit up straighter. He rolled his Playbill (he'd better remember to grab another or Rachel would _not_ be happy with him) and was practically vibrating in anticipation.

His wife was on Broadway.

He always knew she would be, of course, but it was Opening Night and he wasn't allowed to have a camera and he just wanted something to remember it by. But then the curtains opened and they were there all lined up and he could see her, on stage, right where she belonged, he knew he would never forget it.

He could pick her voice out, clear as day, wondering how she was feeling at that moment. Was she excited? Was she nervous? Or did she immerse herself so far into Maureen that she felt nothing but the emotions her character was feeling? (Yeah, she told him stuff like that happens sometimes. And he enjoyed it when she was doing that improve, for sure. Because she was really into trying out all _different_ kinds of characters. He sort of always wondered if Sadie came from one of those nights.)

The play moved through seamlessly, everyone appearing to hit their marks – he knew because he'd been to more than one rehearsal – and every note flawless. He was so proud of her he literally had no words.

When it came time for her solo, his stomach clenched with nerves on her behalf. She'd sung a million before, this one at least a thousand times alone, but it was different. It was Broadway.

It was who she was meant to be.

So, of course, half way through his beeper went off.

Of _fucking_ course.

He pressed the button to shut it off, wincing when everyone around him turned to stare. How embarrassing. But he kept his eyes on Rachel and it seemed like she didn't hear it. Hopefully she didn't.

And then, when the stage went silent, it happened again.

Now he had more eyes on him, including some of the people on the stage who were in the "audience". He felt his cheeks flame and he hit the silence button again, praying it would last until the end of _Over the Moon_. He really didn't want to walk out on this. It was her first big number and she was doing great and _shit_ it started beeping again.

So he stood and made his way out to the aisle, embarrassed, ashamed and angry. Why in the hell couldn't New York stay unflammable for one night? The most important night of his wife's career.

And now he was walking out on it.

When she got backstage after _Over the Moon_, Kelsey, one of the girls in the chorus, told her that she saw Finn get up and leave during the performance. She was about to ask if he came back when she added there was a strange beeping noise right before he walked off.

Girl was too young to remember pagers.

She knew it must have been for work and she understood, really, but there was still the whole second act and he was going to miss it.

She wasn't going to let it distract her though. So she thanked Kelsey and headed back into her dressing room, for a quick drink of water before heading back to hair and make-up. The lights had been hotter than in rehearsal, or maybe it was her nerves causing the temperature change, and she had been sweating like crazy. Very attractive.

She sat in the chair while Marjorie and Alex worked their magic, thinking about Finn and how he was going to miss the end of her debut. Yes, it was selfish, but strip down her name and the little bit of mellow she'd acquired when she had Sadie, and she was still Rachel Berry, the selfish, somewhat self-obsessed girl from Lima, Ohio, who wanted it all (too much) and thought that people should be focused on her.

It was times like this she wished Finn had become an accountant or something. There were no accounting emergencies that would ever tear him away from one of her shows.

But she was being selfish. Finn had a very important job and he wouldn't have gone if it wasn't an emergency. And that was enough for her.

She got the "places!" call and headed back to hit her mark despite the fact that her husband was gone.

He was pissed off by the time he got to the station. Because the fire was already out. He'd heard on the radio that it was bad, very bad, but it wasn't. He'd arrived on scene and the last of the flames were being put out.

He was _so_ not happy.

He parked the car and headed inside, simply walking up to Ralph, crossing his arms and arching an eyebrow. The older man, unapologetic, told him he thought it was going to be harder to get out than it actually was.

Finn glanced at his watch and knew, no matter how fast he drove, he wouldn't be able to make it back to see the end. He would miss her first curtain call and he felt like an ass for doing it. And he was pissed at Ralph for making him.

"I'm going back to Manhattan," he told his supervisor. "I'll be back tomorrow night to retake the shift."

He headed back to the car, pulling off his tie and muttering to himself. He climbed in and drove, stopping to pick up a bouquet of wildflowers for her. The least he could do was stage door.

It was exhilarating, the feeling of completing her first show. She had done well, they all had, and there were no less than three curtain calls.

She was happy and proud and thrilled and a whole bunch of other words that fled her extensive vocabulary the second the curtain dropped. She wiped her face clean and changed into her street clothes, assuming she'd be taking a cab home since Finn had the car. She didn't mind, not really. She would just text Puck and ask him to keep Sadie overnight. Because there was no way in hell she was putting her baby in the back seat of a New York City cab.

She grabbed her purse and kissed her friends on the cheek, pulling her phone out and heading for the door. Linus pushed it open for her and she thanked him, stepping out and glancing up for a moment, surprised at the number of people asking for her autograph. She grinned and signed every one, thanking them for coming out and telling them she appreciated their support.

The crowd disbursed and she looked down to her phone again, but something caught her eye and she looked up.

Standing in the middle of the sidewalk, right where the crowd had just been, was Finn. He had one hand in his pocket, the other gripping a bouquet of flowers, and a smile on his face. And it was probably the best thing she'd seen all night.

She made her way over to him, taking the flowers when he offered them, and standing on her toes to give him a kiss. "Fire?" she asked.

He frowned and shook his head. "Let's not talk about that. Let's talk about how amazing you were," he told her seriously. "Honestly, Rach. You blew me away."

He leaned down and pressed his lips to hers, softly at first, but she had other plans. She brought her arms up around his neck and pushed herself closer, the need for contact hitting her so quickly, so severely, she had no idea where it came from.

But when his large hands came around her to grip her hips and pull her closer, she knew she would be texting Noah anyway. Because there was no way she and Finn would be able to do all the things she was currently thinking of doing with him if there was a baby in the house.


	17. Big Break

It was a normal day. Or at least he thought it was. He was off, Rachel was finishing up some loose ends at school. She'd graduated a few days before but wanted to go in and check with her teachers to make sure she could still use their names as references when she auditioned for shows. She had done one off-off-off Broadway show last winter and the bug had bitten her so bad that she'd tried to drop out to audition full time. He'd put a nix on that because she was getting the money she wasn't using for campus housing to put towards the rent and he was still making crap money in the fire department so, yeah, they needed her to be in school. She could still audition in her down time and she did, almost daily, and he was starting to get the feeling he sometimes got when something big was going to happen.

He mentioned to her in passing a few weeks ago that she should audition for that singing diner of 51st, Ellen's, but she'd given him a look so crappy he'd kind of shied away from her for a bit, letting her do whatever she wanted, including watching those awful shows on TLC that made him kinda want to die. They needed the money but he wasn't about to turn into _that guy_ on her and tell her to put her life on hold and get a job so they could pay rent. He offered to pick up a few more shifts and had been working a few hours of dispatch too so that she could afford to not work as long as she needed. He would never tell her to give up her dream and he supposed she was right, that her best bet for landing a role would be pounding the pavement right now and auditioning as much as she could. All she needed was a foot in the door and she would be on her way. Once people really got to see his wife act and hear her sing, she would be set on the stage for life.

And speaking of feet in the door, the door to the apartment opened and before he knew what was happening, there was a tiny brunette flying at him and talking a million miles a minute and he was, like, fluent in Rachel-speak or whatever but this was too much even for him. "Babe, you need to slow down," he insisted. "When you talk like Kurt at a designer blowout sale or whatever it makes my head hurt really bad and then I get confused easier. Why don't you take a breath and start over and we can go close the door together because I saw that weird guy from 8C wandering around before and you know once he comes in it takes hours to get him back out again."

She must have been okay with his request because she took several deep breaths and headed for the door, his hand on her lower back. "So I was in Manhattan today, as you know," she began and she must have been waiting for him to agree so he nodded. "Well, just as I'm about to go visit Dr. Tunnel, my cell phone rings. I thought it was Kurt because I figured you were napping and wouldn't be calling me anyway because you knew I was meeting with my former instructors," she rambled as he led her to the couch. He sat and pulled her down with him, a smile on his face as she continued on.

"So, anyway, I almost didn't answer it but I glanced down and saw it was an unknown number. I decided on a whim to answer it and … and guess who it was!" Now wasn't really the time for her to start playing games because he really wanted to know. She did this to him all the time; she would build her story all the way up and then stop and make him guess what she wasn't telling him. He knew she wouldn't let it go, wouldn't just tell him, so he let himself think for a minute. It wasn't someone whose number she had, though it could still be someone from Lima, just with a new number. Maybe it was Quinn or Tina got a new number. Maybe it was Kenz calling from work.

He had no idea who it could have been or what they wanted, so he did as she asked and guessed, knowing it would be wrong. "Was it Mrs. Schue?" he asked.

"Mrs. …? Oh! Emma! No, no it wasn't her. You're so far off base!" she told him excitedly. "You're about as off base as I am Off-Broadway." She stared at him, that sexy little smile he loved on her face as she bit down on her bottom lip. He knew that meant she answered her own question and now it was his time to riddle out what she meant before the Final Jeopardy music stopped playing or it would be at least a few hours of her giving him the cold shoulder and he really, really didn't want that.

He quickly ran through the last few things they said to each other in his head, his mind working rapidly to crack her special code. _"You're about as off base as I am Off-Broadway."_ Off base, Off-Broadway, she got a role. She got a role! "You … Rach, did you?" When he smile widened, he knew it was completely true. She'd audition for a few so he didn't know which one but it really didn't matter because she _got a role_! "Which is it?" he asked in excitement. "Was it the one about the girl? Or-or was it the one where it was about kids and stuff and … things happened?" No, he didn't remember the story lines of every show she auditioned for; if he did, he wouldn't have any room left in his brain to remember how to, like, fight fires. "Or was it _Sweeny Todd_?" And, okay, so he knew that one because Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter did that movie and he liked it.

She smiled brightly and started nodding a lot when he asked about _Sweeny Todd_ so he assumed that was it. Holy crap! "You did it, baby!" he shouted before standing up and scooping her into his arms, spinning her around. "You _made_ it!"

She laughed her beautiful, happy, carefree laugh and it made his heart swell. "I did!" she squealed, tapping him on the shoulders to be placed back on her feet. "And, okay, so it's not Broadway yet but it's only a matter of time, right? I start out as the lead female in _Sweeney_ and before you know it, I'm Maria or Mimi or Maureen or-or Millie!" she cried in excitement. "Oh, Finn, isn't it just … this feeling – I can't – I'm just -!" And then she let out this squeal and jumped up and down and he thought she was the cutest thing on the planet just then. Or ever, really, but that was beside the point. She got a part and she was happier than he'd seen in so long that it just made him want to – well, it made him want to make her feel even better, even happier.

He didn't know how to do that though because even though it was Off-Broadway, the word _Broadway_ was still there and that's what she'd been working for since, like, the womb. And now his fiancée was going to legit be on the stage in a real life paying job and not as some chorus member. He didn't think. He paused and scrunched his brows together. "Wait. You got Mrs. Lovett, right? You're not, like, the crazy lady that Johnny Depp kills are anything are you? Which it wouldn't be bad if you were!" he amended quickly. "I just know you went out for Mrs. Lovett and it would suck if they didn't cast you for that part because –."

"Finn!" she interrupted with a giggle. "Yes, I was cast as Mrs. Lovett. We're doing a few months of rehearsals and workshops and everything and then by Christmas we'll be open! As soon as I find out the date I'll let you know so you can clear it with the station. I'd hate for me to not give you enough time to take it off," she told him, her bottom lip pushing out just a bit. He called it her pre-pout and thought it was completely unnecessary in this situation.

"I'll get the time off no matter what," he promised with a soft kiss. "I didn't miss a single moment of any of your debuts, did I? No," he answered for her with a smile. "I definitely didn't. And I'm not about to start now. So you'd better be reserving me the best seat in the house and a backstage pass because I need to kiss my girl after the show. Because I totally remember that I'm not allowed to kiss you _before_." He hated it but it was Rachel's thing, she'd been doing it since high school and he wasn't about to try to break her of it now just because they lived together and stuff. He just hoped he'd remember before trying to kiss her in the morning.

He watched her for a moment or two, that bright smile just pulling him deeper and deeper under his spell. "Get changed," he said suddenly. "I – yeah. Yeah, go put on a real fancy dress. We're going out tonight to celebrate." She opened her mouth, no doubt to protest that they didn't really have the money for splurging but he had a counter to that. "Don't even try," he said firmly but gently. "I picked up that shift for Mike two weeks ago and that came in yesterday's pay. We have the money and even if we didn't, I would make the sacrifice of, like, not eating out too much or something. I don't know. Or I'd ride my bike to work. Whatever. Point is, we have the money and I wanna take you out. This is – baby, this is _huge_. You did it," he whispered as he moved his hands to her hips, a soft, proud smile on his face. "And we're going to celebrate it. So go put on a dress and curl your hair and just … just go," he grinned as he dropped his hands and stepped back from her. "Go."

She smiled brightly and nodded. "I mean, it's not like we – oh, what the hey. I'll be ready in about …"

"Three hours," he jokingly finished. "Seriously. Get ready. I'm gonna make reservations at that vegan place you love so much and if you're not ready by the time I get them for, I'm gonna take Ralph. Swear to God."

Rachel bit down on her bottom lip and started walking slowly towards the bedroom. "Take Ralph if you want but I'll tell you this, Finn Hudson; he probably won't put out like I'm sure to tonight." With that, she disappeared into the bedroom and he reached for the phone.

So, okay, it was the farthest thing from a normal day but, really, he was glad. Today was one of the best they'd had in a while.

=/=

**A/N: So ... this happened. :)**


	18. The Scariest Aisle at the Pharmacy

It was a surprise. She could easily admit that she was surprised at the thought that crossed her mind when she walked down the aisle in the drug store that men avoided like the plague. She didn't walk into the store thinking it but she definitely started thinking it when she stopped in front of a shelf she'd never looked at seriously before.

_PREGNANCY TESTS_

She didn't know why her hand when to her stomach and a smile crossed her lips but it did on both accounts. Yes, she was a sentimental woman and she loved children and the thought of a woman standing in her position and trying to pick out a test or two that would change her life, one way or another, made her a little … emotional. She wondered how many women had done that in this exact place. She wondered if she knew anyone who did. Some of her friends had children, after all. And then she thought about how many men were shooed from their homes when their emotional significant other thought she was pregnant and made him come to get it.

Her smile grew at the mental image of Finn standing here trying to do that. She laughed and let the scene play out in her mind for a moment just because she thought it was funny.

But the line of thought didn't last long; she was on a tight deadline and needed to get home to her husband. He had forty eight whole hours off and she wanted to be home for as many of them as she could. It definitely helped that it was a Sunday afternoon and she was off tomorrow too. It was so rare that their schedules worked out like that and she wanted to take full advantage of the little miracle.

She turned away and headed down the aisle, stopping at the tampons. When she remembered she had a full, unopened box at home, she withdrew the hand that was reaching for her brand. And when she did that, her mind started to count days and weeks and tampons in an unopen box.

And she turned back to the other side of the aisle where the previous objects of her attention sat in neat little rows. Pulling her bottom lip between her teeth, she slowly crept back to the shelves of pregnancy tests. She did the math again and again and she realized that if she was counting so many times, she should just pick one up and take it. And if she was wrong, it was only eight dollars she was out. It would be a good investment if it – they, there were two in a box – came back positive.

She stared a moment longer, not knowing if she was actually ready to pick the EPT up off the shelf, and took a couple of deep breaths. It wasn't as if she and Finn didn't want a family. She was finally getting big on Broadway, though, and he was still working a hectic schedule for the fire department. He didn't have enough seniority yet to pick and choose his shifts and hers was pretty set. She didn't perform every show but it still wasn't often that she wasn't at the theater just in case. Hence the rarity of them both having time off together.

But this was possibly a baby and she knew they would both adjust as necessary because they _want_ a baby. She wasn't sure if she felt guilty for wondering if _now_ was the right time for one though. Every woman thought that, didn't they? They hemmed and hawed and thought of themselves, their career, their significant other, right? She couldn't be alone in this line of thinking.

Her hand moved back to her stomach as she stared at the plethora of tests in front of her. She wondered if there was one better than the other. The EPT had caught her eye from the start and its name was very encouraging for someone who wasn't positive what the result was going to be once the test was taken. And she needed to know for sure. She couldn't handle it if she went home and took the tests and they didn't have a definitive answer. Maybe it would be smarter for her to go home and make an appointment with her gynecologist. Sure, she'd only been there four months ago but this was something of an emergency.

But did she really want to wait any longer to find out if she and Finn were going to have a baby?

Her decision made, she grabbed the EPT box and put it in her basket, nonchalantly adding some deodorant for Finn and some razors for her before heading up to the check out. She grabbed him a Twix and herself a Mounds and tried not to blush when the teenager behind the counter looked from her to the test and back again. She paid and got out quickly, thanking goodness that they didn't live too far away from the Duane Read she'd gone to.

When she entered their apartment, she smiled at the sight of her husband sitting on the couch, but frowned at his feet on the coffee table. "Really?"

"M'on break," he said with a grin as he sipped from his bottle of water. "I've gotta get back to the honey do list you left me in a few minutes but this honey is pooped right now."

She smiled, not bothering to tell him to move his feet, and made her way over to the couch. "Just this once," she said as she sat beside him, "but only because I might have shocking news and I don't want you to flail around and break anything and with your feet up, you usually don't move much at all." He looked like he was about to take fake offense to her statement so she pushed on. "I realized something in the store so I had to pick up a couple of things that I hadn't planned on." First she handed him the Twix. Then she handed him the EPT box.

His head snapped up and she couldn't help but smile. "Is this …?"

"A pregnancy test, yes. Or, to be more accurate, _two_ pregnancy tests. I didn't know that they came in two packs now. It's really convenient because I wouldn't want to buy just one because of the risk of false positives and false negatives. I considered getting more but …"

"Rach, babe? Rambling."

She blushed and ducked her head. She was really working on that and she didn't want to start that particular nervous tick again. Neither of them needed that. "Sorry. I'm just … blindsided by the realization that I might be pregnant."

She looked up, straight ahead and not at him, for an indeterminate length of time before she heard his voice break through. "Rach? You gonna, you know …" She looked at him and he nodded to the pregnancy test that was in his hands. "You don't have to," he quickly added. "Not if you're not ready or if you don't have to pee yet but, uh, this is kinda huge and I know it's not my body or anything but I wouldn't want to wait too long."

"Yes, yes," she said as she stood. "You're right. I should go take care of this and then we'll know, right? Right." She leaned in and kissed him on the lips before taking the tests from him and walking towards the bathroom. She stopped half way, turned around and came back to the couch. He looked confused but she didn't say anything, just grabbed her Mounds and continued on her journey to the bathroom.

"Please wash your hands before you eat that!" She ignored him.

She was nervous once the door was shut and the package was open but it didn't take long for her to complete the task at hand. She washed and dried her hands before grabbing a couple of tissues and the tests before heading out into the living room. "Don't comment," she told him. "I just don't want to find out when I'm in the bathroom. And I don't want to find out alone." She placed a couple of tissues down and then laid the two tests, which she carried out in tissues, down on top of them. She set the timer on her cell phone and sat beside her husband to wait.

She thought she might be feeling every single emotion possible all at once. She knew that it was good for her career – now she really could tap into anything she needed to for a role – but it was not good for her mental health. It felt like the longest two minutes of her life. She had too much time to think. She was scared and excited and picturing her husband holding a baby and hearing endless screams at three am and she could feel herself clenching her fists because she didn't know which emotions were okay and which made her a bad potential mother.

She did not want to be a bad mother.

She felt Finn's hand take hers and she squeezed because they both needed it. Well, she assumed he did. He was stronger than her, though; he didn't show his fear as often. She wondered if that was something that came naturally with him become a firefighter since he couldn't really show the people he was saving that he was nervous.

When the phone beeped, she didn't look at the tests right away like she'd planned on. Instead, she turned to Finn and gave him a small smile. "I love you," she told him and she smiled when he replied with the same phrase. They leaned in and met in the middle, their kiss light and comfortable with a hint of nerves and a promise that everything would be okay, no matter what the test results were.

She briefly wondered if everything _would_ be okay, though. Were they ready for the responsibility that came with having a child? Was she ready to take a break from working and Broadway and grow three times her normal size and waddle? Was she ready to have strange cravings and intense mood swings and cramps in her legs and a complete lack of control of her bodily functions?

And just as importantly, was _Finn_ ready? Was he ready for her to call him crying in the middle of the night because she couldn't see her toes? Was he ready for two am food runs because she was craving something ridiculous that they didn't have at home? Was he ready for even less sleep that he got now? She looked up at met his eyes and she could see the fear there but she could also see excitement. She decided that even if they weren't ready, they would be able to get ready. They would have nine months, give or take, to get ready. And if she knew one thing, it would be that as long as she and Finn were together, they could do anything.

She took a deep breath and gave him a smile. She didn't know what words to say so she just kissed him again. Sometimes words weren't really necessary, right? She licked her lips and held his hand for a few seconds more before she nodded. "Okay. Time to look."

Finn nodded in agreement and they both leaned forward at the same time. She didn't know if she froze in shock or with the knowledge that she likely had known the answer before she even knew it was a question. Finn, however, didn't know what he was looking at, it seemed. "Okay, so, I'm thinking that means …"

"Yes," she breathed after he trailed off. "Yes. You think right." Both tests said the same thing, both had crystal clear results. Her heart was pounding and her head was spinning and she had no idea what the rest of her was doing because today did not go as she had expected. When she got up this morning, she expected a day of relaxing, a trip to the pharmacy, delivery and probably quite a lot of sex. She didn't expect to bring home a pregnancy test and take it and get results like this. It was going to be an easy, drama free day.

She thought she probably liked this better.

"Wow," she heard Finn breathe and it made her smile even wider. "Those are – those are a couple pretty clear plus signs. And plus means … it means positive, right?"

She brought their joined hands to her flat belly and nodded. "Yes, Finn. Plus means positive. Plus means we're having a baby."

And then something completely _not_ unexpected happened. He pulled her into his arms and kissed her like he'd never kissed her before. It was the kiss of a man who was so incredibly happy to find out he was going to be a father. She knew that because she was kissing him the same way back, only she was a woman who was excited (it was the prevailing emotion at the moment) to become a mother.


End file.
